Maharashtra: Congress accuses BJP of spreading falsehoods on Navneet Kaur-Rana matter

Mumbai:  The Maharashtra Congress on Thursday accused the state Bharatiya Janata Party President Chandrashekhar Bawankule of allegedly committing contempt of the court and violating the model code of conduct by making certain claims on party candidate from Amravati, actress-turned-politician Navneet Kaur-Rana, here on Thursday.

Shooting off a letter to the Maharashtra Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe said that Bawankule had made "false and misleading statements" regarding the Supreme Court's case verdict on Kaur-Rana, who joined the BJP on Wednesday.

"On Thursday, Bawankule fraudulently claimed that there was an order and judgement from the honourable SC in favour of Navneet Kaur-Rana, following her joining the BJP on Wednesday," said Londhe.

"This deliberate spreading of false information is a clear attempt to influence voters and violates not only the model code of conduct but also constitutes a crime under the Indian Penal Code and amounts to contempt of court," Londhe told the Maharashtra CEO in the letter.

For impact, Londhe has also sent the CEO the video clips of Bawankule's statements, and a copy of the SC case status and February 28, 2024 orders reserving its verdict in the Navneet Kaur-Rana matter.

"It is clear from this that Bawankule's claims are entirely false and misleading. It is evident that he has intentionally provided false information to citizens and voters to manipulate their perception," Londhe said.

Kaur-Rana had won the reserved Amravati (SC) Lok Sabha seat in the 2019 elections as an Independent supported by other parties, and this time she was nominated as a BJP candidate.