BJP MP and lawyer Tejasvi Surya on Wednesday said that the Karnataka High Court had granted an interim stay on the case against his party colleague Amit Malviya. Surya appeared in the court on behalf of Malviya in the defamation case, which was pursued based on an FIR registered against the BJP's Information & Technology cell head.
The FIR was lodged based on a complaint by Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee member Ramesh Babu in connection with a tweet by Malviya. The tweet showed an animated video allegedly depicting Rahul Gandhi and Congress in poor light. The complaint stated that the video showed hate against India and Hindu culture and that Congress supports only minorities. Ramesh Babu also alleged that Rahul Gandhi's speeches had been altered and used as the "BJP wants to divide society and spread hatred".
Soon after the FIR was filed, Tejasvi Surya said, "The FIR filed against Amit Malviya is politically motivated." Reacting to the BJP's claims, Congress leader Priyank Kharge said: "Whenever the BJP bears the burnt of law, they cry. They have a problem following the law of the land. I want to ask the BJP which part of the FIR has been filed with a mala fide intention. We have done it after taking legal opinion."
Surya said, "The High Court of Karnataka, today granted an interim stay on investigation and all further proceedings in the FIR registered against Amit Malviya over an alleged tweet which, the FIR alleged, would promote enmity between classes of people in the country. The said tweet was against Rahul Gandhi and the complaint as well as the FIR did not mention any allegations that attracted the provisions of IPC 153A and 505(2) holding that the FIR, complaint and the allegations contained therein do not make out any case...This order is a slap on the face of the Congress, which is trying to abuse the institutions of the government to meet its political agenda."