Thiruvananthapuram: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has been booked by the Kerala Police based on a complaint filed by BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar. Both are contesting against each other in the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency in the upcoming polls.
The case was based on an alleged statement by Tharoor in an interview given on a TV channel. Tharoor allegedly said that Chandrasekhar is dishing out money to religious organisations in return for their votes.
Chandrasekhar, also a union minister, filed a complaint with the Director General of Police (DGP), naming Tharoor and remarking that the Thiruvananthapuram Cyber Police should register the case. Also, the Election Commission issued a warning to Tharoor over the incident, assessing it as a violation of the Model Code of Conduct, and Tharoor has not provided substantial evidence to prove his claim.
The EC rejected Tharoor’s explanation that he was not aiming at the minister or BJP outright. The poll panel also ditched BJP’s allegation that Tharoor was attempting to incite religious and caste sentiments.