A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered by the Indore Police against senior Congress party leaders over a post on 'X', formerly known as Twitter, accusing the Madhya Pradesh government of corruption. The names include party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, MP Congress chief Kamal Nath and former Union Minister Arun Yadav. The Indore police, in a statement, said that the local BJP's legal cell convener Nimesh Pathak complained that a fake letter bearing the name of a person called Gyanendra Awasthi was circulated on social media, reported PTI.


The letter claimed that contractors in the state are being asked to pay 50 per cent commission.


According to PTI, a case has been registered against Awasthi and “handlers” of X accounts of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Kamal Nath and Arun Yadav at the city's Sanyogitaganj police station. Police further added that Pathaks’s complaints are being investigated.


"A fake letter bearing the name of a person called Gyanendra Awasthi was circulated on social media. On the basis of a complaint, an FIR has been filed against Twitter handlers of Priyanka Gandhi, Kamal Nath and Arun Yadav," Indore Police Commissioner Makrand Deuskar said.






On Saturday, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Ramsanehi Mishra claimed an FIR was registered against the X "handles" of Vadra, Nath and Arun Yadav at Sanyogitaganj police station in the city. Mishra said that the case was registered under Indian Penal Code sections 420 (cheating) and 469 (forgery with intent to harm reputation) using Pathak’s complaint. The police also said that they are trying to verify the authenticity of the different X handles. 


Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had claimed on Friday, that the union of contractors from Madhya Pradesh wrote a letter to the Chief Justice of the High Court stating that their payment will only be released after they pay a 50 percent commission. She said that the “corrupt BJP government” in Karnataka used to collect a “40 percent commission” and that the people of Madhya Pradesh will remove corrupt governments which demand 50 percent commission from power.


On Friday evening, the Gwalior police registered a case against a few people in connection with Priyanka Gandhi's post.


"The corrupt BJP government in Karnataka used to collect 40% commission. In Madhya Pradesh, the BJP has gone ahead by breaking its own record of corruption. People of Karnataka ousted the 40% commission government, now the people of Madhya Pradesh will remove the 50% commission government from power," she alleged in the post. Similarly, Nath and Yadav made similar posts.






Meanwhile, MP Home Minister Narrottam Mishra demanded proof of the Congress leaders' claims and warned of legal action by BJP and the state government. 


Reactions from Congress members


Reacting to the FIR by Indore police, Congress MP KC Venugopal said, "They can register hundreds of FIRs against Priyanka Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and all Congress leaders. While raising the corruption issue of the Madhya Pradesh government or any other BJP government, this is now become the custom of the Union government and BJP people. But we are not going to scare by all of these things. We will raise the corruption issue. Madhya Pradesh government is totally corrupt. That is what we are raising..."






Similarly, Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel said, that when contractors are themselves write "that 50% commission is being taken then what more evidence is required? The FIR won't hide the truth."






Congress leader Rashid Alvi spoke to the ANI as said that Corruption is happening continously in MP and there is evidence, "wait for two-three months, the Congress government will come, they will be given evidence and action will be taken against the corrupt. BJP is scared of Priyanka Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi."