In a recent turn of events, Nitin Gadkari, a prominent figure within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has found himself embroiled in a controversy stemming from a misleading social media post shared by the official Congress handle. Gadkari’s lawyer Balendu Shekhar has stepped in, issuing a legal notice in response to what he claims is a deliberate attempt to tarnish his client’s reputation.
The crux of the issue revolves around a 19-second video clip extracted from an interview Gadkari gave to The Lallantop web portal. According to Shekhar, Congress shared this clip without proper context, distorting Gadkari’s words to create confusion and disrepute.
The legal notice, penned by Shekhar, accuses Congress of deliberately concealing the true intent and meaning behind Gadkari’s words. It alleges that the social media post was crafted with the sole purpose of sensationalism, aiming to undermine Gadkari’s credibility in the eyes of the public.
Furthermore, the notice asserts that Congress’ actions were not only aimed at damaging Gadkari’s reputation but also at sowing discord within the BJP, especially as the party gears up for the upcoming general election under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The crux of the legal notice demands the immediate removal of the contentious social media post within 24 hours, along with a written apology to Gadkari within three days. Failure to comply, Shekhar warns, may result in legal action being pursued against Congress, both civilly and criminally.
The notice emphasises Gadkari’s original interview highlighted the government’s efforts, which were allegedly overlooked by Congress in favour of cherry-picking statements out of context. Specifically, the social media post in question purportedly utilised a selective Hindi caption to further distort Gadkari’s message, painting a negative image of his stance on crucial issues affecting villages, labourers, and farmers.
Despite Congress’ awareness of the full context of Gadkari’s interview, Shekhar alleges that senior Congress leaders such as Kharge and Ramesh intentionally shared the misleading video clip and caption to besmirch Gadkari’s reputation.
As this legal battle unfolds, it underscores the growing significance of social media in shaping public discourse and the potential ramifications of disseminating misleading information in the digital age. With political tensions running high ahead of the general election, such incidents serve as a reminder of the importance of responsible communication and transparency in the political sphere.
