Chhattisgarh police have lodged an FIR against BJP's Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy following a complaint that he allegedly made a false statement against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, police said on Sunday, 7 July.
Based on a complaint of Jashpur district Congress president Pawan Agrawal, the First Information Report (FIR) was registered at Patthalgaon police station on Saturday night, Jashpur Superintendent of Police Shankar Lal Baghel told PTI.
In his written complaint, Agrawal said Swamy alleged that Rahul Gandhi takes cocaine, and added that the BJP leader has no right and facts to make such a statement.
"Swamy himself knows that his statement was false and intentional to insult Rahul Gandhiji. Swamy knows that his statement can encourage enmity between political parties and provoke people. Such a statement can disturb peace among people," he said in the complaint.
The case has been registered under Indian Penal Code Sections 504 (intentional insult with an intent to provoke breach of peace), 505(2) (intent to incite any class or community of a person) and 511 (attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or other imprisonment), the SP said.
Chhattisgarh Congress spokesperson Shailesh Nitin Trivedi said, "Swamy's statement is unacceptable and highly condemnable. It has disrespected Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party in the state and all over the country. He has no moral and legal right to make such a false statement." Various wings of the Congress, including the Youth Congress, Women's Congress and the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) in the state have been filing complaint against Swamy at police stations in all the districts and development block headquarters since Saturday night, he said.
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