Himachal Pradesh Police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament and actress Kangana Ranaut over a controversial social media post targeting the Gandhi family. The Mandi MP is accused of sharing remarks and insinuations that attempted to link the deaths of former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, along with Sanjay Gandhi, to the subsequent political rise of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi. Acting on a formal complaint describing the content as misleading and potentially inflammatory, police initiated legal proceedings against the actor-turned-politician.
Shimla Police registered the case on Friday night. Shimla Superintendent of Police Gaurav Singh confirmed that a case has been lodged against Ranaut regarding the allegedly objectionable social media post. The FIR has been registered under Sections 196, 353, and 356 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. These provisions pertain to promoting enmity between different groups, circulating statements conducive to public mischief, and defamation.
Objection Raised Over November 10 Social Media Post
The police action followed a complaint lodged by Retired Captain Atul Sharma, a resident of Shimla. Sharma submitted his complaint via email to Himachal Pradesh Director General of Police Ashok Tewari on November 12, sending copies to senior officials of the Crime Investigation Department and the Cyber Crime Wing. He sought an investigation into a post published on November 10 from Ranaut’s verified X account, @KanganaTeam.
According to the complainant, Ranaut shared an old video featuring members of the Gandhi family. The post presented the deaths of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, her son Sanjay Gandhi, and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in the context of Sonia Gandhi’s later political rise, accompanied by the remark “How convenient!”. Sharma alleged that such framing could create misleading perceptions among viewers. He specifically objected to the portrayal of Sonia Gandhi as a mysterious foreign national and remarks concerning the alleged ouster of Maneka Gandhi from the family residence following Sanjay Gandhi’s death.
Allegations of Crossing Limits of Political Criticism
In his representation, the complainant stated that circulating such allegations and insinuations from the large social media platform of an elected representative could have a wide-ranging impact. He contended that the material goes beyond the bounds of legitimate political criticism or general commentary on historical events, creating the apprehension of disturbing public harmony.
The complaint cited BNS Section 196, which addresses promoting enmity between groups and acts prejudicial to social harmony, alongside Section 353, which deals with publishing or circulating false information or rumors likely to cause fear, alarm, or public disorder, and Section 356, which covers defamation. Arguing that the right to freedom of speech under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution is not absolute and remains subject to reasonable restrictions, Sharma referenced Supreme Court judgments in the Lalita Kumari and Amish Devgan cases. He urged that the investigation proceed impartially without being influenced by political office or public stature.
Demand for Cyber Forensic Probe and Digital Evidence
The complainant has also requested the Cyber Crime Wing to conduct a technical and forensic examination of the social media post. This includes verifying the authenticity of the post, its original context, mode of dissemination, and digital sources. He urged investigators to secure available metadata, the original video footage, and other electronic records from the X platform.
Citing provisions of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023, the complaint emphasized preserving digital evidence to establish the actual origin and context of the post during the probe. Attempts to reach Kangana Ranaut and her team for comment yielded no immediate response. Police will now examine the post, related digital evidence, and the allegations raised in the complaint as part of the ongoing investigation.
