Santanu Sinha Apologizes Again Amid Defamation Suit By BJP Leader Amit Malviya

Santanu Sinha, the Bengal man who accused BJP leader Amit Malviya of sexual exploitation, has issued another apology after Malviya filed a defamation suit against him.

In a letter to Malviya's legal team, Sinha stated, "I deny and dispute the allegations made by your client in your legal notice, asserting that I never accused your client of any sexual abuse or made any defamatory, scandalous, fabricated, or reckless statements."

He clarified, "I have not made any allegations against your client. Instead, your client should investigate who within the party manipulated my social media post to spread a misinterpreted version."

Expressing regret, Sinha added, "I deeply regret the consequences that arose from the misinterpretation of my post, which harmed your client's reputation and the BJP as a political party. I apologize to your client and the party for the harassment and dishonor caused."

On June 10, Malviya filed a ₹10 crore defamation suit against Sinha, who had alleged in a social media post that Malviya was involved in sexual exploitation of women. Malviya's legal notice demanded the removal of Sinha's "false and derogatory" post from social media.

Sinha, who claims to be a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) activist—a claim denied by the RSS—accused the Congress party of spreading "fake propaganda" and labeled it as the "nastiest" and "most corrupt political party." He clarified, "The post was not intended to malign Mr. Malviya but to caution against entanglement in a honeytrap, as initially highlighted by Mr. Tathagata Roy, ex-president of the state unit and former governor of Tripura."

Following the controversy, the Congress demanded immediate action against Malviya, with Congress leader Supriya Shrinate stating, "An RSS member, Santanu Sinha, related to BJP leader Rahul Sinha, has alleged that Amit Malviya, head of BJP's IT cell, has engaged in the sexual exploitation of women in both five-star hotels and BJP offices in West Bengal. We demand justice for women from the BJP."

She added, "Less than 24 hours after PM Modi's swearing-in ceremony, serious allegations of sexual exploitation have emerged against a prominent BJP figure, the chief of its IT cell."