FIRs filed against Tejashwi Yadav in Maharashtra, UP over remarks on PM Modi
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Patna: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav has been booked in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh for allegedly derogatory social media posts against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The cases were filed following complaints by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, reported The Indian Express.
On Friday, police in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli registered a case against the former Bihar deputy chief minister after BJP MLA Milind Ramji Narote accused him of sharing “highly offensive, false and defamatory” content about the prime minister. Narote alleged that Yadav called Modi a “liar”, accused him of making false promises, and even shared a song claiming that he “lies morning and evening”.
“This act is not merely against an individual but is an insult to the office of the prime minister of India and the honor of the nation,” Narote wrote on social media, alleging the posts were meant to spread confusion and tension in society.
In Uttar Pradesh, Shahjahanpur Police also registered an FIR against Yadav based on a complaint by BJP’s city unit chief Shilpi Gupta, PTI reported. Superintendent of Police Rajesh Dwivedi said Gupta’s complaint alleged that Yadav’s “indecorous comment” had caused “immense anger among the people of the country”.
According to reports, the Maharashtra FIR invokes sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) related to promoting hatred, spreading ill-will, making defamatory statements against the government, and causing public mischief through speech or digital platforms, The New Indian Express reported. The case in Uttar Pradesh was filed under BNS provisions dealing with spreading rumors and making allegations through a picture.
Yadav’s remarks coincided with Modi’s visit to Gaya in Bihar on Friday, where the prime minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for several development projects, ANI reported.
Reacting to the cases, Yadav told ANI on Saturday, “Saying the word ‘jumla’ has also become a crime. They fear the truth... We are not scared of any FIR and we speak the truth.”
The controversy has erupted just weeks before the Bihar Assembly elections, expected in October or November, adding to the political tensions in the state.