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The Congress on Wednesday hit out at the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh after an FIR was lodged against eight Twitter handles for allegedly propagating fake news in connection with the death of two girls in Unnao last week.
On Saturday, former MP Congress leader Udit Raj was booked for allegedly propagating fake news via a tweet in which he claimed that the teenagers were raped and their bodies cremated against the will of their family.
Condemning the FIRs, Congress communication department head Randeep Surjewala said, “The FIR filed against the former MP and Congress spokesperson Udit Raj, a media portal and some individuals is a clear cut instance of strangulating democracy by the BJP and its leaders. Congress Party demands the immediate withdrawal of all politically motivated FIRs, for such arm twisting will not be able to silence the voice of our leaders, who are committed to the cause of the weak, deprived and marginalised.
“Registration of FIRs against Congress leader Udit Raj, web portal Mojo Story and other individuals is yet another instance of brazen harassment and bullying by the power drunk BJP Government to silence the contrarian or dissenting voices,” he added.
Stating that the law-and-order situation has completely collapsed in Uttar Pradesh as the state government has failed in its duty to safeguard the people, Surjewala said the government is targeting the media and political leaders instead of going after the perpetrators of various crimes by “resorting to registration of false FIRs” and using “other coercive measures to threaten and intimidate the people bringing the truth to light”.