BJP leader booked for sharing communal posts on social media

The accused, Jiten Gajaria, BJP media cell member, was allowed to leave by the Mumbai police after tendering a written apology and deleting derogatory posts

Jiten Gajaria, Bharatiya Janata Party's media cell member, has been booked on Thursday by Pune cyber police over sharing communal posts to create differences between Hindu and Muslims. Interestingly, the complaint has been given by a representative of the Shiv Sena - a party which was once known for making anti-Muslim statements, but seems to have changed its stand since the formation of the three-party Maha Vikas Aaghdi (MVA).

While the Mumbai cyber cell recorded Gajaria's statement and allowed him to leave after he gave a written apology and deleted the tweets against CM's wife Rashmi Thackeray, Pune police registered an FIR under various sections of the IPC. The complainant, Umesh Wagh, Sena representative and social worker from Pune, has mentioned multiple statements of the accused which are communal in nature and can create problems between Hindus and Muslims.

The complainant has also added that the BJP media cell member was making derogatory statements against Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackrey's wife Rashmi Thackeray, Sharad Pawar and late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Based on his complaint, the Pune cyber police registered the FIR under sections 153(A) (promoting enmity between different groups), 500 (punishment for defamation), and 505 (2) (statements conducing to public mischief) of the IPC, Pune Police commissioner Amitabh Gupta has confirmed to mid-day.

Some of the posts shared by complaint state how the Sena has changed its ideology and changed its stand on making hateful comments about a particular section of the society. One of the posts read: Surya ko namaskar haram lekin chaand dekh kar Bawala hojana -islam. The complainant said such a statement was made to create difference between Hindu and Muslims which may lead to communal problems in the state.

Another such comment mentioned in the complaint read, "Arey wah aajkal Shivsena Jehadiyo se supari leti hai wo Bal Thackeray kya bulate the Jehadiyo ko L '''''? [sic]" The complainant has also mentioned various posts that are derogatory in nature against Rashmi Thackeray, Sharad Paawar, Sonia Gandhi and Indira Gandhi and claimed that this has been done to defame the MVA.