The Rajasthan High Court on Wednesday stayed an FIR registered against BJP leader Amit Malviya, who is also in-charge of BJP’s National Information & Technology wing, for allegedly mocking Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Twitter, reports Live Law.
FIR for mocking Rahul Gandhi
According to the reports, Amit Malviya was accused of mocking the Congress leaders, in response to a comment made by Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi, which had hailed Gandhi-scion Rahul Gandhi of giving prompt caution leading to the timely arrangement of health infrastructure in the Bhilwara city of Rajasthan, to battle the deadly coronavirus pandemic.
“Sonia Gandhi claims Bhilwara tested 22 lakh people due to Rahul’s warning! Wherever there is Rahul, can exaggeration and maths blunder be behind?,” Malviya had tweeted.
In the aftermath of the tweet, the local police in the Hanumangarh Town had registered a FIR against Malviya and the party president JP Nadda. A Congress worker Manoj Kumar Saini had registered the complaint.
The court has directed the Hanumangarh police that the effect and operation of the FIR along with entire proceedings pursuant thereto shall remain stayed.
“Effect and operation of the FIR No.216/2020 registered with Police Station Hanumangarh Town, Hanumangarh along with entire proceedings pursuant thereto qua the present petitioner shall remain stayed,” Justice Mathur ordered.
Malviya’s counsel had argued that he had merely re-tweeted the contents of the article news item published in The Print Magazine and such no case was made out against the Petitioner.
FIR against JP Nadda also stayed by the Rajasthan High Court
Earlier on Tuesday, the Rajasthan High Court had stayed an FIR lodged against national BJP president JP Nadda in connection with the case.
BJP President JP Nadda had moved the High Court, seeking the quashing of the FIR and stating that he had no role in the Malviya’s tweet.
Directing the Hanumangarh police that stayed the FIR, the Rajasthan High Court had issued a notice to the Congress worker and the state government for making Nadda a party in the case and also sought a reply in six weeks.