On Tuesday, April 16, the Himachal Pradesh election office issued a notice to the state’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Satpal Singh Satti for allegedly using an expletive against Congress president Rahul Gandhi, India Today reported, adding that an FIR has also been registered against Satti under Indian Penal Code Section 294 (obscene acts) in the Baddi jurisdiction. A video that was posted on social media allegedly depicted Satti employing explicit words against Gandhi at a public meeting in the Solan Legislative Assembly, the Hindustan Times noted. On Monday, April 15, Rajneesh Kimta, state Congress general secretary, had lodged a complaint with the state CEO over Satti’s alleged remark, and also filed a police complaint, India Today said.
Devesh Kumar, who is Himachal Pradesh’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) said that Satti was served a notice for breaching the Election Model Code of Conduct by Solan’s District Election Officer (DEO), India Today said. Satti has been directed to respond within 24 hours.
Also on Tuesday, members of the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) mounted a protest against Satti outside the DC office, and chanted slogans against him, the Hindustan Times reported. They called for Satti’s removal from his position. Per India Today, effigies of Satti were also burned by the Congress at district headquarters in Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday.
A public apology had been sought, but BJP spokesperson Ajit Kapoor spoke in defence of Satti, and accused the Congress of “misleading the people of the state on this issue,” The Tribune reported. Randhir Sharma, another BJP spokesperson, said, “The truth is that the party chief was narrating a post that had gone viral on social media in which some people had used derogatory terms. He was reading the post and advising party workers to be patient while commenting about any political leader but the Congress has shamelessly used only a small portion of the video,” the Hindustan Times reported.
Separately, per India Today, the Himachal Pradesh election office and police are investigating a complaint filed by the BJP alleging that a “supporter” of the Congress has offered a Rs. 10 lakh reward to anyone who cuts off Satti’s tongue. A video that was circulated on social media allegedly depicted Vinay Sharma announcing this reward. BJP has claimed that Sharma was a deputy advocate general in Himachal Pradesh under the Congress government. The BJP has also lodged a complaint with the state CEO, seeking an FIR against Sharma and the Congress ” for threat, criminal intimidation, instigation of physical violence and for other electoral offences,” India Today reported, and has also filed a complaint with the Shimla police.