Senior Congress leader and Lok Sabha candidate from Thiruvananthapuram Shashi Tharoor has been booked for allegedly carrying out a false campaign against Union Minister and rival candidate Rajeev Chandrasekhar, police said on Sunday.
The case has been registered by the Cyber Police in Thiruvananthapuram on April 15, but its details were revealed only today, a report in PTI said.
The case against Tharoor was registered based on a complaint lodged by BJP leader J R Padmakumar who accused the Congress leader of carrying out a false campaign against Chandrasekhar during a TV programme.
The crucial seat of Thiruvananthapuram is locked in a three-way contest between sitting MP Shashi Tharoor, BJP's Rajeev Chandrasekhar and CPI candidate Panniyan Raveendran. Three-time MP Shashi Tharoor is contesting in the seat for the fourth consecutive election from Thiruvananthapuram.
The complainant alleged that Tharoor, during the programme, had made defamatory statements against Chandrasekhar with regard to influencing voters of coastal regions in the upcoming Lok Sabha election.
Tharoor had allegedly accused Chandrasekhar of using money in exchange for votes from religious organisations.
The case was registered under Sections 171-G and 500 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 65 of IT Act, a cyber police official said adding that an investigation is going on in the matter. IPC 177-G refers to raising false statement in connection with an election, while IPC 500 relates to defamation, as per PTI.
Shashi Tharoor, who is contesting from Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency, is yet to react on the registration of the case.
The Thiruvananthapuram constituency is one of 20 Lok Sabha constituencies in Kerala and it constitutes seven assembly seats in the state. Out of the total seven seats, the CPM currently holds five seats including Kazhakoottam, Vattiyooukavu, Nemom, Parassala and Neyyattinkara, while the Congress holds Kovalam seat.
Thiruvananthapuram will go to vote in the second phase of general elections on April 26, 2024.