Advocate Seeks FIR against Rahul Gandhi, Kharge Over ‘Derogatory’ PM Posters

The complaint, lodged by advocate Vineet Jindal on August 29, 2025, cites a series of posts published on the official verified handle of the Congress party on August 28, which carried a “Missing Poster” of the Prime Minister. The posters allegedly branded Modi as a “missing vote thief” and a “notorious vote thief,” terms which Jindal claims are not political criticism but defamatory and provocative in nature.

According to the complaint, these remarks were not isolated incidents but part of a larger pattern. Jindal pointed to Rahul Gandhi’s repeated statements during rallies and public meetings where the Congress leader allegedly called Modi a “thief” and insinuated corruption, dishonesty in the electoral process, and misuse of democratic institutions.

The complaint claims that these statements, amplified through the party’s official X handle, were “designed to malign the Prime Minister personally rather than criticise policy,” thereby crossing the line from political opposition into criminal defamation.

The advocate alleged that such content amounted to an intentional attempt to “tarnish the image of the Prime Minister, lower the dignity of the office, provoke unrest among the public, and undermine faith in democratic institutions.” He further contended that the remarks were calculated to incite disrespect towards the highest constitutional office and foster public disharmony.

Jindal urged the police to register an FIR against Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, and the Congress’s social media in-charge under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, including Section 152 (acts endangering sovereignty, unity and integrity of India), Section 194 (promoting enmity between groups), Section 195 (imputations prejudicial to national integration),  Section 356 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), Section 357 (statements conducing to public mischief) and Section 354 (criminal defamation)

The complaint also invokes provisions of the Information Technology Act, 2000, particularly Sections 66D and 67, which penalise the publication and transmission of offensive content through electronic means.

“The offensive posts and speeches are still in circulation on social media and continue to cause widespread damage by defaming the Prime Minister in India and abroad,” Jindal wrote, adding that they have “lowered the dignity of his office and undermined public faith in the democratic and electoral process".

Along with seeking registration of a FIR, the complaint also requests immediate removal of the posts in question and a probe into what Jindal describes as a “conspiracy behind these repeated attacks on the dignity of the Prime Minister and democratic institutions".

Annexures attached to the complaint reportedly include screenshots of the controversial “Missing Poster” shared on August 28, as well as copies and links of Gandhi’s speeches where he allegedly made disparaging remarks against Modi.