The Congress MLA and leader of the opposition in the Chhattisgarh assembly Charandas Mahant, is now entangled in legal troubles over allegations of hate speech against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Chhattisgarh assembly Charandas Mahant
The Election Commission had instructed the Chief Electoral Officer of Chhattisgarh to take action in the matter, leading to the initiation of legal proceedings against Mahant.
The Chief Electoral Officer of Chhattisgarh forwarded the case to the District Electoral Officer and Collector Rajnandgaon for necessary actions.
Subsequently, following the submission of documents in the Friday evening, the district administration swiftly filed an FIR. The complaint, filed by Rajnandgaon’s Tehsildar Atul Vishwakarma was registered at the Kotwali police station.
Earlier on Tuesday, the leader of opposition in Chhattisgarh assembly and Congress MLA Charan Das Mahant allegedly made derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Modi in his address during a nomination rally.
The BJP has alleged that his speech contained inflammatory rhetoric, suggesting resort to violence against dissenters and critics, including PM Modi. The remarks sparked immediate outrage from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Following the agitation, BJP National Executive Member and Secretary of the Central Disciplinary Committee Om Pathak filed a formal complaint with the Election Commission.
The complaint urged the Election Commission to take appropriate action under the Model Code of Conduct against Mahant for his hate speech, invoking relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and Representation of the People Act, 1951.
Presently, the police have registered a case against Mahant under Section 506 of the IPC. The initial investigation into the complaint lodged by the Assistant Returning Officer and Tehsildar highlights the seriousness of the alleged offense, including threats of physical harm and derogatory language directed towards Prime Minister Modi.
The escalating tensions between political rivals as the elections approach have brought derogatory language and allegations to the forefront. The legal proceedings against Mahant have triggered a flurry of accusations and counter-accusations from both the BJP and Congress camps. It remains to be seen that how voters in Chhattisgarh will respond to such incidents when they cast their ballots.