The Sagar police in Shivamogga district have filed an FIR against Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi over some tweets posted on the official Twitter handle of the party criticising the utilisation of the PM CARES fund and the way Prime Minister Narendra Modi has handled the COVID-19 situation.
In the complaint, Praveen K.V., an advocate, has alleged that the tweets from the handle @INCIndia on May 11 on the initiatives of the Modi-led government to tackle the COVID-19 situation were “highly misleading”.
The complainant has stated that at a time when the nation was fighting against the pandemic, the Congress was spreading “false information” on the issue through the social media platform and trying to mislead and provoke people against the government.
The Sagar police have booked a case under Section 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot) and 505(1)(b) (cause fear or alarm to the public or inducement to commit an offence against State or public tranquillity) of the Indian Penal Code against Ms. Gandhi.
Meanwhile, the State Congress has urged Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa to withdraw the FIR. In a letter to Mr. Yediyurappa, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president-designate D.K. Shivakumar said the complaint has been filed “with a political motive and false information on Ms. Gandhi’s tweet”.
“This is blatant misuse of the process of law with the intention to snub the right to healthy criticism,” Mr. Shivakumar said.
In the letter, the Congress leader demanded withdrawal of the FIR and suspension of the police officer concerned. “We urge the government to register an FIR against said police officer for misusing the process of law in the interest of justice and equity,” the KPCC leader said.
