FIR against Priyanka Gandhi, Kamal Nath, Jairam Ramesh in 41 districts of MP over 'false' corruption claims against govt

A string of First Information Reports (FIRs) have been filed across 41 districts of MP, including Bhopal and Indore, implicating Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, State Congress President Kamal Nath, former PCC Chief Arun Yadav, and Jairam Ramesh. The charges levelled assert that these political figures widely circulated a viral letter on various social media platforms, an act deemed to have impugned the credibility of the state’s BJP administration by alleging a rampant 50% commission culture. Simultaneously, an anonymous individual, Gyanendra Awasthi, has also been subject to a formal case. The focal point of concern is a circulating document purportedly emanating from an entity named the ‘Small and Medium Regional Contractors Association’. Affixed at the document’s conclusion is the name Gyanendra Awasthi. This letter, falsely attributed to the Chief Justice of the Gwalior Bench of the High Court, spurred the legal action undertaken by the BJP leadership. Complaints registered by BJP representatives led to the filing of FIRs at the Bhopal Crime Branch and the Sanyogitaganj police station in Indore. The claims put forward contend that the Congress leaders orchestrated a deliberate smear campaign against the BJP, tarnishing their image. In response, FIRs under Sections 420 and 469 were filed at the Sanyogitaganj police station at approximately 9:30 pm. In a parallel development, the Crime Branch in Bhopal has also sprung into action. On Saturday night, cases under Sections 469, 500, and 501 were formally recorded. DCP Crime Shrutkirti Somvanshi has verified these proceedings. The genesis of this process traces back to a complaint lodged by BJP officials earlier on the same day. The controversial document, attributed to the ‘Small and Medium Regional Contractors Association’, purportedly contends that a 50% commission modus operandi prevails within the government. It lambasts the existing administration, asserting a lack of attentive governance and rampant broker involvement that necessitates the commission. Allegedly, only 40% of the approved project amount reaches the legitimate contractor, with the rest being split as commissions. Addressing the matter, Priyanka Gandhi, on Friday evening, tweeted, “The Madhya Pradesh Contractors’ Union has written to the Chief Justice of the High Court, revealing a disconcerting norm of a 50% commission system in the state. In comparison, the corrupt BJP government in Karnataka limited itself to 40%. In Madhya Pradesh, the BJP has outdone itself, escalating its corruption quotient to 50%. Just as Karnataka ousted corruption, Madhya Pradesh will follow suit.” At a press conference held in Bhopal, BJP State President VD Sharma contended, “Yesterday, the Congress fabricated an extensive falsehood in Madhya Pradesh. They propagated a falsified letter, attributing it to a supposed contractor association. This manipulative act exemplifies the very core of Congress’s modus operandi.” He added, “Digvijay Singh and Kamal Nath have become synonymous with deception within Madhya Pradesh. They set a record for mendacity yesterday. Congress’s central leadership, including Priyanka and Rahul Gandhi, were led astray by a fallacious letter, laying bare Congress’s true character.” The State President further cautioned, “The BJP will firmly address this cybercrime. Priyanka Gandhi must elucidate the origin of this letter. Fake Letter BJP representative and lawyer Pankaj Paliwal revealed that the document bore an address for the ‘Small and Medium Regional Contractors Association’ as Basant Vihar, Lashkar Gwalior. Authorities visited the location in question accompanied by police personnel, only to find no trace of the purported organization or its representatives. Subsequently, Paliwal lodged a formal complaint with the crime branch.