Gurugram: An illicit video purportedly that includes a BJP MP from Haryana has triggered a political storm within the state, with the ruling BJP accusing Congress chief Deepender Hooda of being behind the controversy, and even BJP state in-charge Biplab Kumar Deb’s identify being dragged into the row.
The video, which surfaced earlier this month, purportedly reveals BJP’s Sonipat MP Ramesh Kaushik in a compromising place with a lady. It has gone viral however ThePrint hasn’t been in a position to confirm its authenticity.
Meanwhile, Haryana Police arrested two folks — Sonu Malik and Dharmendra Malik — Saturday over one other clip through which Biplab Deb, a Rajya Sabha MP, a former chief minister of Tripura and the BJP’s candidate for Tripura West within the upcoming parliamentary election, has been named in reference to the controversy.
In his 15 March grievance filed at Gurugram’s Cyber Crime Police Station — on the premise of which an FIR has been registered — Arun Yadav, the social media head of the BJP’s Gurugram unit, says that the most recent clip, which is 2.19 minutes lengthy, was broadcast on a YouTube information channel referred to as ‘The Great Haryana’ earlier this week.
The reporter within the clip cites “secret sources” to say that the lady within the unique video “was first presented to Biplab Deb to please him for a (party) ticket”, the FIR states, including that the most recent clip was meant to “malign” the status of the previous Tripura chief minister, who doesn’t seem within the unique video.
Kaushik, who beat Congress heavyweight and former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda within the 2019 normal election, has dismissed the allegations in opposition to him as a smear marketing campaign.
The BJP has claimed that the 2 males arrested Saturday belong to “Team Deepender”, referring to Rajya Sabha MP Deepender Hooda, son of Bhupinder Singh Hooda.
“The video, being alleged as a BJP MP’s, is yet to be verified. But to defame our prabhari ji (Biplab Deb), Team Deepender Hooda has tried to drag his name into a conspiracy,” Jawahar Yadav, chief spokesperson of the Haryana BJP, advised ThePrint over telephone. He added that the unique video seemed to be from October 2020 — when Deb hadn’t but been made the Haryana in-charge.
ThePrint reached Deepender Hooda for remark by name and textual content messages. The Print additionally reached Savit Kumar, the Station House Officer of Gurugram’s Cyber Crime Police Station, by way of calls. This report shall be up to date if and once they reply.
But Deepender’s father Bhupinder Singh Hooda dismissed the BJP’s allegations as “ridiculous”.
“We are political people and believe in fighting politically. The Congress will defeat the BJP convincingly in the Lok Sabha and assembly elections this year. The BJP knows well that the people of Haryana have decided to oust them from the state this time. This is the reason they are indulging in dirty politics,” he advised ThePrint.
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What the FIR says
The two suspects within the case have been arrested underneath sections 500 (defamation), 509 (outraging the modesty of a lady) of the Indian Penal Code and 67A of the Information and Technology (Amendment) Act, 2008, which punishes the publication of ‘sexually explicit act or conduct’ in digital kind.
In his grievance, Arun Yadav claims that the unique video is proven to be from 2 October 2023, when Deb was on a go to to Sonipat. However, when he “fact-checked” it, he discovered that it was from September 2020, when Deb had not but been appointed BJP’s Haryana in cost, he provides.
Deb was appointed the occasion’s Haryana in-charge in September 2022.
“Similar videos have also been uploaded by Dharmendra Malik and Sonu Malik of Team Deepender,” the FIR says.
BJP spokesperson Jawahar Yadav claimed that “Team Deepender” was making an attempt to unfold misinformation by the video to “tarnish” Deb’s status.
“Because our prabhari ji is a sitting MP and is contesting for Lok Sabha again, Team Deepender Hooda did this to bring disrepute to the BJP, ” he stated.
In a video he shared with the media earlier within the day, the BJP spokesperson stated: “Team Deepender Hooda did this conspiracy so that our prabhari ji gets defamed and he is removed from Haryana. The team posted some comments about prabhari ji on Facebook. The words are so bad that I can’t repeat them here because this video is to be circulated widely.”
(Edited by Uttara Ramaswamy)
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