Congress leader Supriya Shrinate on Monday called for the immediate removal of Amit Malviya as IT cell head of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after an RSS member levelled allegations of sexual exploitation against him. Supriya Shrinate highlighted that Santanu Sinha, an RSS member, who is reportedly related to BJP leader Rahul Sinha, has accused Malviya of engaging in “nefarious activities”, including the sexual exploitation of women.
“An RSS member Santanu Sinha, related to BJP leader Rahul Sinha, has said that the BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya is indulged in nefarious activities. He is indulged 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,” Shrinate said at a press conference in New Delhi.
“The reality is less than 24 hours after PM Modi was sworn in, serious charges of sexual exploitation have been levelled against a very prominent office bearer of the BJP, the head of its IT cell,” she added.
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The Congress leader demanded Malviya’s immediate removal from his influential position to ensure a fair investigation. “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.”
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Amit Malviya sent a legal notice to Santanu Sinha on Saturday asking him to take down the “false and derogatory post and tender an unconditional apology.”
“[T]he 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 legal notice reads.
“That the aforesaid defamatory, scandalous, false and reckless statement and post have been widely published circulated, and read by the public at large and have lowered the dignity of my client in the eyes of the public,” it adds.
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Following Shrinate’s press conference, Malviya, as quoted by ANI, said, “Since the Congress and earlier TMC in West Bengal held a press conference on the slanderous post. The three-day notice ends tomorrow, 11th June. Appropriate action will follow.”