Hyderabad Police Files FIR Against Assam CM for 'Obscene Speech' on Rahul Gandhi

The FIR was registered after a complaint by Telangana Congress chief A Revanth Reddy.

File Photo of Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma. 

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/Himanta Biswa Sarma)

A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered in Hyderabad against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over his defamatory remarks against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi based on a complaint by Telangana Congress chief A Revanth Reddy.

The FIR was registered at the Jubilee Hills police station under Sections 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 505(2) (statements conducing to public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code.

At a public meeting in poll-bound Uttarakhand on 11 February, CM Sarma had criticised Rahul Gandhi for demanding proof of the September 2016 surgical strikes and asked whether the BJP had ever demanded proof of him being the "son of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi."

On 14 February, MP Revanth Reddy had lodged a complaint against Sarma at the Jubilee Hills police station. He had asked the police to register an FIR under Sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), 505(2) (Statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes), and 294 (obscene acts and songs) of the IPC.

After the FIR was registered on 16 February, Revanth Reddy wrote to Jubilee Hills police again, over not invoking Sections 153A, 294, and 509 (Word, gesture, or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the IPC.

In his fresh letter to the Jubilee Hills police, Revanth Reddy wrote that Section 153A must be invoked as Sarma’s speech "was made with an intent to promote enmity between different groups and as such, constituted an act prejudicial to maintenance of harmony and peace in the society." He also alleged that Sarma’s "obscene speech" was made "with an intent to insult and outrage the modesty of women," by "calling into question the paternity of Sh. Rahul Gandhi."

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has also condemned the remarks and demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi sack Sarma over the incident.

(Published in arrangement with The News Minute.)