FIR registered against BJP MP Anant Maharaj over alleged Netaji remarks: Police
Police said the FIR against Anant Maharaj was registered over his alleged ‘war criminal’ remark about Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose at a Siliguri event.
The Chief Minister of West Bengal, Suvendu Adhikari, has reported Anant Maharaj, a BJP Rajya Sabha member, to the police for allegedly making derogatory comments about Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on social media.
The incident occurred on August 9, when Ray allegedly referred to Netaji as a "war criminal" during a public meeting in Siliguri. A video of the remarks gained widespread attention on social media platforms.
In response to the allegation, Ray released a video statement on August 12, apologizing for any unintentional emotional distress caused by his comments. He stated, "With respect to Netaji, I would like to state that if unintentional comments have hurt anyone emotionally, then I am sorry from the core of my heart."
However, the All India Forward Bloc worker who lodged a complaint, Gopal Dey, argued that the comments were deliberately malicious. He demanded that Ray be arrested and expelled from the Rajya Sabha, stating that the remarks were "so derogatory that we were forced to lodge a complaint."
Adhikari, in a statement on July 12, directed the state police to take strict action against those making derogatory remarks against Netaji. He registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Ray under sections 196, 299, and 353 of the Indian Penal Code.
Since then, at least six additional FIRs were registered against individuals who uploaded similar derogatory comments about Netaji on social media. Five persons have already been arrested, and at least 282 social media accounts have been suspended by the state police.
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