Madhya Pradesh BJP lodges case after Priyanka Gandhi's '50% commission' charge

The Indore Police on Saturday said it has registered an FIR against the "handlers" of the 'X' accounts of senior Congress leaders including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, MP Congress chief Kamal Nath and former union minister Arun Yadav over a post accusing the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh of corruption.

In a statement released on Twitter, now known as X, the Indore Police Commissioner said late on Saturday night that local BJP's legal cell convenor Nimesh Pathak complained that a fake letter bearing the name of a person called Gyanendra Awasthi was circulated on social media.

The letter claimed that the contractors in the state are being asked to pay 50 percent commission.

A case has been registered against Awasthi as well as the "handlers" of the 'X' accounts of Vadra, Nath and Arun Yadav at the city's Sanyogitaganj police station, the release said, adding Pathak's complaint is being investigated.

Earlier in the day, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Ramsanehi Mishra claimed that an FIR was registered against the Twitter "handles" of Vadra, Nath and Arun Yadav at Sanyogitaganj police station in the city.

He said the case was registered under Indian Penal Code sections 420 (cheating) and 469 (forgery with intent to harm reputation) on Pathak’s complaint.

Pathak alleged that the Congress leaders conspired to malign the image of the state government and his party by sharing "misleading" social media posts and accusing the BJP regime in the state of being involved in corruption.

The official said the police are verifying the authenticity of the respective Twitter handles.

On Friday, Vadra claimed on X that a union of contractors from Madhya Pradesh has written a letter to the Chief Justice of the High Court complaining their payment is released only after paying 50 per cent commission.

"The corrupt BJP government in Karnataka used to collect 40% commission. In Madhya Pradesh, the BJP has gone ahead by breaking its own record of corruption. People of Karnataka ousted the 40% commission government, now the people of Madhya Pradesh will remove the 50% commission government from power," she alleged in the post.

Kamal Nath and Arun Yadav also made similar posts.

Terming Priyanka Gandhi's allegation false, MP Home Minister Narottam Mishra earlier sought proof from the Congress leader to support her charge, warning that options were otherwise open before the state government and the BJP for legal action. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the opposition party was spreading lies. On Friday evening, the Gwalior police registered a case against a few people in connection with Priyanka Gandhi's post.