Shashi Tharoor booked under IT Act for alleged defamatory remarks against BJP's Rajeev Chandrasekhar
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor with senior leader Priyanka Gandhi-Vadra
A week after the BJP accused Congress leader Shashi Tharoor of making defamatory remarks against his Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha election rival Rajeev Chandrasekhar, the three-term Member of Parliament has been booked by the authorities.
The case was registered on April 15 on a complaint by Bharatiya Janata Party leader JR Padmakumar.
Thiruvananthapuram is set to vote on April 26 and the two leaders are locked in a tight contest in which Tharoor is faced with the challenge to save what is described as a Congress bastion.
What is Tharoor accused of?
Shashi Tharoor has been accused of falsely claiming that Chandrasekhar influenced voters in the coastal region during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.
The Congress MP was booked under Indian Penal Code Sections 171-G and 500, andSection 65 of the Information Technology Act.
Section 171-G of the IPC pertains to making false statements in connection with elections while Section 500 deals with punishment for defamation.
Earlier this month, Tharoor claimed in an interview that he had received information from various sources, including "certain important community leaders and parish priests", suggesting that the BJP was trying to influence voters with cash.
Following this, Chandrasekhar sent a legal notice to Tharoor and accused the Congress MP of making defamatory statements against him.
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"With his baseless allegation, he has also damaged the reputation of religious and community organisations in the [state] capital," the BJP leader said in a social media post. "Rest assured, I will ensure that this slander is countered using all legal means. It’s disgraceful to see a three-time MP stooping to third-rate politics in his desperation."
The BJP also complained to the Election Commission against the Congress MP.
On April 14, the poll body issued a "strict warning" to Tharoor for allegedly making unverified accusations against Chandrasekhar.