On 8th June, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) IT Cell Chief Amit Malviya sent a legal notice to one Santanu Sinha from West Bengal for making allegations of sexual misconduct against him. The notice, however, appeared on social media only after Congress leader and IT Cell chief Supriya Shrinate talked about the allegations against Malviya in a press conference.
BJP’s National SM & IT head Amit Malviya slaps a defamation notice on Santanu Sinha for making loose, slanderous comments & fabricated charges of sexual misconduct against him on an FB post.
— Priti Gandhi (Modi ka Parivar) (@MrsGandhi) June 10, 2024
Glad you're taking this head on, @amitmalviya. No mercy for character assassination! pic.twitter.com/VeKV2FCZCx
As per the legal notice, the post against Malviya was published on 7th June 2024 on Facebook. The notice was sent by Supreme Court advocate Abhijeet on behalf of Malviya asking Santanu to take down the post and tender unconditional apology. The notice pointed out that the post on Facebook by Santanu made “false and defamatory” allegations against Malviya with an “intention to harm his reputation.”
BJP's Amit Malviya sues RSS member for Rs 10 crore over 'sexual exploitation' charges. @iindrojit joins us for more on the story#AmitMalviya #SantanuSinha | @nabilajamal_ @iindrojit pic.twitter.com/1XFDID46R4
— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) June 10, 2024
The notice read, “That the nature of allegations is extremely offensive in as much as they falsely allege sexual misconduct purportedly committed by my client. The same is fatally injurious to the dignity and reputation of my client who, by his professional profile, is a public figure. Such malevolently malicious statements have been deliberately made to tarnish his reputation.”
Santanu was asked to remove the post within three days. However, before the notice period could end, Srinate raised the issue in a press conference. Quoting Malviya, news agency ANI wrote, “Since the Congress and earlier TMC in West Bengal held a press conference on the slanderous post. The three-day notice ends tomorrow, 11th June. Appropriate action will follow.”
Amit Malviya says "Since the Congress and earlier TMC in West Bengal held a press conference on the slanderous post. The three-day notice ends tomorrow, 11th June. Appropriate action will follow."
— ANI (@ANI) June 10, 2024
Supriya Srinate levels sexual harrasment allegations against Malviya
In a press conference on 10th June, Congress’s IT Cell chief Supriya Srinate levelled sexual harrasment allegations against BJP’s Amit Malviya based on social media post by RSS’s Santanu Sinha on Facebook. In his statement, Srinate said, “An RSS member Shantanu Sinha, related to BJP leader Rahul Sinha has said that the BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya is indulged in nefarious activities. He is indulged in the sexual exploitation of women. Not just in 5-star hotels but in BJP offices in West Bengal. The only thing that we seek from the BJP is, justice for women… The reality is less than 24 hours after PM Modi was sworn in, serious charges of sexual exploitation have been levelled against a very prominent office bearer of the BJP, the head of its IT cell…Today we seek the immediate removal of Amit Malviya from his position. It’s an extremely influential position. It’s a position of power and there can be no independent inquiry. There can be no independent probe. There cannot be justice unless and until he doesn’t get removed from his position…”
#WATCH | Congress leader Supriya Shrinate says, "…An RSS member Shantanu Sinha, related to BJP leader Rahul Sinha has said that the BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya is indulged in nefarious activities. He is indulged in the sexual exploitation of women. Not just in 5-star hotels… pic.twitter.com/kfBYgofQTu
— ANI (@ANI) June 10, 2024
Santanu Sinha’s allegations against Amit Malviya
Despite the legal notice, Santanu Sinha has not removed the post from Facebook. In the post in Bengali, Santanu accused Amit Malviya and other senior leadership of BJP of accepting sexual favours from leaders in West Bengal and in exchange providing them positions in the party. He accused West Bengal BJP leaders of sending women to Malviya and other senior leaders of BJP women in 5-star hotels to secure president’s posts. He wrote, “Is Amit Malviya still waiting in a five-star hotel in Kolkata for the Bengal leadership to provide beautiful women? Has the competition among the Bengal leadership stopped over who can provide the most beautiful women to secure the president’s post? Please, compete in standing by your workers and supporters. Not in providing beautiful women to Amit Malviya or the observers sent from Delhi to secure the president or secretary posts. They, after all, took risks in their lives based on your assurances and your words. Bengal leadership, please don’t sit idle like a mere figurehead.” (Translation from Bengali to English done using ChatGPT).
It is notable here that earlier this year, grave allegations of sexual exploitation emerged against TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan and his aides in Sandeshkhali. Sheikh Shahjahan and his goon were accused of exploiting women in the area for years.
