Amit Shah's son files defamation suit

New Delhi: BJP President Amit Shah’s son Jay Shah on Monday filed a criminal defamation case in Gujarat against a news portal which had carried a report on his firm alleging that it grew exponentially after the party came to power in 2014. Meanwhile, the political storm over the story continued with the Congress demanding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi “say something” in the matter.

Mr Shah would be represented in the case by additional solicitor general Tushar Mehta.

The defamation application sought “criminal action against the respondents for defaming and tarnishing the reputation of the complainant through an article, which is scandalous, frivolous, misleading, derogatory, libelous and consisting of several defamatory statements.”

Following the filing of the case, additional chief metropolitan magistrate S.K. Gadhvi ordered a court inquiry into the matter.

The case has been filed under IPC sections 500 (defamation), 109 (abetment), 39 (voluntarily cause grievous hurt) and 120 B (criminal conspiracy). In Delhi, Union railway minister Piyush Goyal said ASG Mehta had decided to appear for Mr Shah after seeking law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad’s permission.

A political storm has erupted after the article titled “Golden touch of Jay Amit Shah” was published.

The Congress party used the opportunity to hit back at the government and strategically addressed press conferences at most state capitals.

Congress vice president Mr Gandhi asked the Prime Minister to say something on claims made by the story. “Modiji, ...Did you act as a watchman or were you a partner? Please say something,” he tweeted. The Congress leader had said on Sunday: “We finally found the only beneficiary of demonetisation. It’s not the RBI, the poor or the farmers. It’s the Shah-in-Shah of Demo. Jai Amit”.

Senior leader Anand Sharma demanded that Mr Modi remove Mr Shah as BJP chief and demanded a probe by Supreme Court judges.

“He(Modi) speaks a lot, everyday and on each issue. He should break his silence on this issue and declare a Commission of Inquiry (to probe the charges against Jay) comprising two Supreme Court judges. There should be a neutral probe,” he said.

However, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar said, “I haven’t read the newspapers so it is not proper to comment,” he said adding that he does “not understand the complexities of investment through companies.”