Amit Shah, the union home minister, is being sued by Congress politician Pratibha Singh of the Darbhanga district of Bihar for allegedly stoking racial tensions in Karnataka, which is preparing for elections. Singh claimed that Shah said things at a gathering in Belagavi, Karnataka, on April 25 that might incite friction and animosity among the local communities.
Singh claimed that Amit Shah made a provocative statement with the intent of inciting racial strife in Karnataka. The Congress spokesperson added that Amit Shah was the subject of a case (Number 490/23) under sections 153, 505(2), and 506 of the Indian Penal Code.
Singh’s action could be interpreted as retaliation for the BJP accusing senior Congressman Rahul Gandhi of defamation in separate petitions filed in the Surat and Patna district courts. The Congressman claimed that Amit Shah was making such comments in Karnataka on purpose to sabotage intercommunal harmony.
Amit Shah is accused of insinuating in his remarks that if the Congress won the election, riots would break out in Karnataka. The BJP has refuted the accusations, claiming that Amit Shah’s comments were misinterpreted and that he did not intend to stir up intercommunal conflict.
Pratibha Singh’s lawsuit serves as a reminder of the ongoing political unrest before the Karnataka assembly elections. Political parties have frequently exploited caste and religion as strategies to polarise people in the state because of the state’s history of intercommunal conflict. The lawsuit against Amit Shah emphasises the necessity for politicians to exercise linguistic caution and refrain from using words that can exacerbate intercommunal tensions.
