A delegation of Pradesh Congress Committee office bearers submitted a complaint letter to the Dehradun senior Superintendent of Police regarding legal action against the BJP national president Amit Shah, various party leaders and journalist Ashok Pande in the sting operation carried out against the Congress-led State Government.
In their letter submitted to the SSP, the PCC delegation stated that the Congress members have been working to publicise the public welfare schemes of the State Government.
They alleged, “Demotivated by the rising popularity of Congress in Uttarakhand, the BJP national President Amit Shah, national Vice-President Shyam Jaju, Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, BJP State head Tirath Singh Rawat and journalist Ashok Pande conspired to defame the Congress and Chief Minister Harish Rawat using a fabricated sting operation. These BJP leaders acted intentionally knowing that the sting operation would tarnish the image of the Congress at the National and State levels apart from creating antagonism in the public for Congress leaders in Uttarakhand. These people misused the Information Technology Act when the BJP national spokesperson and union minister Nirmala Sitharaman released the sting operation during July in Delhi without giving any details about the date, location or location of the sting operation. This was aimed to defame the Congress across the country and misinform the people of Uttarakhand.”
The complainants from the PCC further stated that after release of the sting operation, the BJP leaders consistently gave statements in the media leveling allegations at the Congress and Uttarakhand Government.
The PCC delegation averred that the actions of these leaders created hindrance in execution of development works and government works in Uttarakhand.
The PCC office bearers said, “We had written to these BJP leaders on August 20 requesting them to provide the original CD of the sting operation for forensic investigation but this has not been done yet. A month after the sting operation was released, Jaju had acknowledged at a press conference in Dehradun that the BJP had the original CD of the sting operation. These BJP leaders are consistently using misinformation and propaganda to defame the Congress and Uttarakhand Government.”
The PCC office bearers have demanded that the police secure possession of the original CD and equipment used in the sting operation for conducting forensic test.
After this, legal action should be initiated against the BJP leaders for conspiring to defame the Congress, damaging public property during protests, misusing the IT Act and violating guidelines of the Supreme Court regarding sting operations.
The PCC delegation which met the SSP included vice presidents SC Ramola, Jot Singh Bisht, state programme in charge Rajendra Shah, chief spokesman Mathuradatt Joshi and others.
