A BJP worker has lodged a police complaint accusing Bollywood actor and Congress' Lok Sabha candidate from Mumbai North constituency, Urmila Matondkar of making anti-Hindu remarks, an official said Sunday.
The BJP worker also sought actions against Congress president Rahul Gandhi for allegedly instructing Matondkar to make the "calumnious comments" and journalist Rajdeep Sardesai allegedly for letting the actor make the remarks on his news channel and telecasting them. However, Matondkar said the complaint was bogus and filed with "ulterior motives".
Suresh Nakhua, a Mumbai BJP worker, in his compliant lodged with the Powai Police here on Saturday claimed that the remarks hurt the Hindu community's sentiments. Matondkar is pitted against BJP MP Gopal Shetty from the Mumbai North constituency, which goes to poll on April 29.
Nakhua said he submitted the complaint after watching Matondkar's interview on a television news channel in which she said the "Hinduism is the most violent religion in the world". "We have received the application. After seeking a legal opinion, we will take further action," a Powai police station official said.
Nakhua said Matondkar's comments were "false, mischievous, deceitful and frivolous", and alleged that they were made with a deliberate motive to cause disharmony among people and malign the country at global level. The BJP leader, in a tweet, said, "Cong Candidate from Mumbai, Urmila Matondkar says: The religion which has been known for its tolerance has become the most violent!! This is abuse of Hindus!!!"
He also alleged that Matondkar made these "malicious, mischievous and calumnious comments on the instructions and orders of Congress president Rahul Gandhi". Nakhua further alleged that journalist Rajdeep Sardesai allowed Matondkar to make the comment and broadcast it on the television channel.
He demanded action against Matondkar, Gandhi and Sardesai under sections 295A, 505 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code. The sections respectively pertains to committing "deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings", making "statement causing public mischief" and "acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention".
Reacting to the allegations levelled against her, Matondkar said in a statement that the complaint was "ex facie bogus, baseless and filed with ulterior motives". "I have been grossly misquoted by the complainant who is a BJP member with malafide intentions," she stated.
The actor said that during the interview she only objected to the "fake, divisive and violent ideology" being promoted by the BJP in the name of Hinduism to misguide people and bring disrepute to the great religion. "Hinduism is an epitome of peace, inclusiveness and non violence. I believe in Hinduism which embraces benevolent concepts of 'Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam' (Whole world is a family) and 'Ahimsa Paramodharma'," the actor stated.
"This is the Hinduism promoted by our great forefathers and Lokmanya Tilak, Gandhiji, Vivekanand and Sardar Patel," she said. "I believe in, love and respect Hinduism in this sense and not in what BJP wants to promote," she added.
Matondkar further said that raising voice against the BJP's ideology and speaking the truth amounts to committing a crime these days, which is unfortunate. "I have been victimised like so many others in the last five years by the BJP. I deplore this aggressive and hostile policy of the BJP. 'Satymev Jayate'," she said.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said the BJP was trying to polarise voters, as the ground was slipping from beneath its feet. Sensing defeat in Mumbai North, earlier an attempt was made to peek into Matondkar's personal life and marriage, he said.
"The BJP has realised voters prefer Urmila rather than the incumbent MP (BJP's Gopal Shetty)," the Congress leader added.
