Amit Malviya Sexual Exploitation Row: RSS’ Santanu Sinha Says Post Was Just to Caution BJP’s IT Cell Head Against Being Honey-Trapped

Kolkata, June 11: Following the defamation suit filed by BJP's IT cell head Amit Malviya against him, RSS member Santanu Sinha on Tuesday clarified that his social media post alleging 'sexual exploitation' of women was not aimed at tarnishing the leader's image but he was just cautioning the leader against being honey-trapped. "Firstly it is unwanted. I did not mean the way it is described and explained. I think it is some misinterpretation. The Bengali post I have made is not an allegation against Amit Malviya nor there is any mission to malign him. I just wanted to make him cautious about the honey trap in which Vijayavargiya and Pradeep Joshi fell," Sinha told ANI.

He also accused the Congress party of being the "most corrupt party" and said that the party misinterpreted what he said. "Nowhere in the post, there is any defamation of Amit Malviya or the party. I am also a party worker and have contested elections twice so it is not possible for me to malign my own party and my leaders. This is an absolute misinterpretation made by the ugliest, most corrupt party in the country that is Congress," he said. Amit Malviya Accused of Taking Sexual Favours: Who Is Shantanu Sinha? What Are the Allegations Against BJP IT Cell Head?

"Nobody understood the exact Bengali meaning of what I said in my post, there was a communication gap. I made a post today clarifying and I think it will evaporate all the whispers. In my post, there is not a single whisper against Amit Malviya or anyone else. If Amit Malviya files any complaint against me, I will contest it," Sinha added. Sinha earlier in his social media post called it humiliating that the Congress party was spreading a "hate campaign" against Malviya and the BJP. He also criticised the state (West Bengal) BJP unit, saying that he was "astonished" to see that no one from the state unit tried to know the "purport of the post but played a dubious role."

"I want to give a clear message that the post was not aimed to malign Malviya but as caution not to get entangled in a honey trap, which was first brought to light by Tathagata Roy, ex-president of the State unit and former governor of Tripura," Sinha said in a post on Facebook on Tuesday. "No corner in the post there is any whisper about sexual exploitation of women by Amit Malviya. Rather I have there expressed my fear if Malviya will be drawn to honey trap by the unscrupulous leaders of the party to cling to their post despite such debacle in the recently held election," he added.

Earlier on Monday, Congress sought the removal of Malviya from his position following Sinha's alleged 'sexual exploitation' post dated June 7, 2024. Addressing a press conference on Monday, Congress leader Supriya Shrinate said, "An RSS member, Shantanu Sinha, related to BJP leader Rahul Sinha, has said that the BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya, has indulged in nefarious activities. He indulges in the sexual exploitation of women. Not just in 5-star hotels but in BJP offices in West Bengal. The only thing that we seek from the BJP is justice for women." Amit Malviya To Initiate Legal Action Against West Bengal BJP Leader Rahul Sinha’s Relative Santanu Sinha Over Derogatory Comments

Shrinate said that an independent probe into the incident is only possible if Malviya is removed from his position. "The reality is less than 24 hours after PM Modi was sworn in, serious charges of sexual exploitation have been leveled against a very prominent office bearer of the BJP, the head of its IT cell. Today we seek the immediate removal of Amit Malviya from his position. It's an extremely influential position. It's a position of power and there can be no independent inquiry. There can be no independent probe. There cannot be justice unless and until he doesn't get removed from his position," the Congress leader said.

On June 8, BJP's Amit Malviya filed a defamation suit against Sinha seeking an "unconditional apology" and also warned to sue Sinha if he does not remove the post within three days of the notice. "The nature of allegations are extremely offensive in as much as they falsely allege sexual misconduct purportedly committed by my client. The same is fatally injurious to the dignity and reputation of my client, who, by virtue of his professional profile, is a public figure. Such malevolently malicious statements have been deliberately made to tarnish his reputation," the notice read.

Malviya, through the notice, alleged ulterior motives and wrongful intent to malign and tarnish his image. Sinha was asked to issue an apology and remove his post within three days from the date of the notice, which ends today, June 11. Further, it mentioned that Malviya will proceed with legal action against Sinha if he fails to respond to the notice. "I, the undersigned, therefore call upon you to issue a public apology and take down/remove your defamatory statement(s) given against my client across all public platforms within three (3) days of receipt of this legal notice, failing which my client will be constrained to take appropriate legal action against you Including prosecuting you for civil and criminal defamation at your risk and cost. Further, I call upon you to pay a sum of INR 10 crore as civil damages for the mental harassment, agony and loss of reputation caused to my client that has been caused to my client via your Facebook post dated June 7, 2024," the notice read.

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