A single social media post has triggered a row between the top brass of the BJP and opposition Congress and TMC.
Kolkata-based lawyer and RSS member Santanu Sinha allegedly suggested that BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya was involved in sexual exploitation of women.
“Is Amit Malviya still waiting at a 5-star hotel in Kolkata to procure a beautiful woman or have the leaders of West Bengal BJP stopped the competition of who has more beautiful women to secure the State President post?” he had posted in Bengali.
The charge that was quickly amplified by the Congress. In an all-out political attack, the grand old party said Malviya should be sacked from his post in the BJP and be subject to an independent inquiry.
An enraged Malviya sent a legal notice to Sinha for "false and defamatory allegations" and demanded a retraction of the statement along with a public apology. He also sought damages worth Rs 10 crore for mental harassment, agony and loss of reputation.
Sinha on his part refused to take down the social media post and denied an apology. But in doing so, he hit out at the Congress, not Malviya.
Sinha claims his post was misinterpreted to create a hate campaign against Malviya. He said the post was not intended to malign the BJP leader's reputation but to caution him against a 'honeytrap'. Sinha did express his 'heartfelt sorrow' for any hurt caused to Malviya.
But Malviya refused to back down. He threatened to file a criminal defamation case against Sinha for making 'slanderous' comments against him. The BJP leader said Sinha's "purported apology is deeply problematic and reductionist".
He added that Sinha's clarification statement was qualified and not unequivocal and does not meet the demands listed in the legal notice.
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