The Indore police have filed FIR against the "handlers" of the 'X' accounts (formerly Twitter) of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi, Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath and former Union minister Arun Yadav in connection with a social media post on BJP's alleged corruption.
According to the BJP, the trio shared a ‘fake letter’ that alleged that the BJP government took 50 per cent commission from contractors to make payments. Following this, BJP minister Vishvas Sarang filed a complaint with the crime branch in Bhopal on Saturday. In Indore, city BJP president Gaurav Randive led a delegation to Sanyongitaganj police station.He also filed a complaint with the Economic Offences Wing (EOW).
Indore Police also posted that local BJP's legal cell convener Nimesh Pathak complained that a fake letter bearing the name of a person called Gyanendra Awasthi was circulated on social media. "A case has been registered against "Awasthi" as well as "handlers" of the X accounts of Vadra, Nath and Arun Yadav at the city's Sanyogitaganj police station," a release from the Indore police said, adding Pathak's complaint is being investigated.
The charges include cheating and forgery with intent to harm reputation. "Few BJP leaders have given a memo in which they claim some Congress leaders of putting out misinformation on social media platforms. They allege the (BJP) leaders' image is being maligned due to this. Names of Priyanka Gandhi and some others Congress leaders mentioned in the memo," Ram Sanehi Mishra, Additional DCP, told ANI.
The ‘letter’ was first shared by Madhya Pradesh Congress ex-president Arun Yadav on the X platform on Thursday. But Gandhi, Nath and Ramesh did not use the letter facsimile on social media and rather used newspaper cuttings based on the charges of Yadav to tweet the about 50 per cent commission allegations.
However, THE WEEK could not trace the letter's writer ‘Gyanendra Awasthi’ or his address (in Gwalior), and even an email sent to the mentioned address bounced back.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan too claimed that he got the so-called letter checked by the state intelligence, but they could not track the letter's writer or the address mentioned on the letter. "There is no such person, no such address of the organisation. The organisation and the letter are fake. This is part of Congress’s negative strategy and its dangerous intentions. They cannot compete with us on positive aspects and developmental work, so they are resorting to such tactics," the CM said.
However, Kamal Nath responded to the BJP's action, stating that there are thousands of cases of corruption against the BJP. "How many FIRs will they file? (against Congress)," he asked.
