A screenshot of the purported video clip. (News18)
Taking to Twitter, minister Banna Gupta said the fake video was made by his opponents using an editing app and he had lodged an FIR so that the truth could be revealed
An obscene video clip of a purported video conversation between Jharkhand’s health minister Banna Gupta and a woman has gone viral, with the BJP demanding the resignation of Gupta who claimed the video was fake.
The 21-second obscene video catches Gupta on camera along with the voice of a woman who, as per information accessed by CNN-News18, works in a multi-chain furniture shop. CNN-News18 has not independently verified the veracity of the video.
In a tweet, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey said the incident had exposed the character of Congress. “This is the character of @INCIndia, this is the so-called matter of Jharkhand Health Minister Banna Gupta ji. Playing with the dignity of women, Congress worker Sushil Sharma burning his wife in oven, I wish Gandhi family could understand, if this is found true then the Congress should drown itself in shame,” he said.
Retweeting the tweet, Independent MLA from Jamshedpur East, Saryu Roy, said: “According to Jharkhand in-charge of Congress Avinash Pandey, all Congress ministers of Hemant government are doing good work. This is a tableau of good work! May be this is just a trailer.”
Roy also spoke to CNN-News18 and said it is very likely that the video is genuine. He added that the money laundering angle should also be probed.
“The video doesn’t seem to be edited and there are more portions to it. Banna Gupta has lodged an FIR in cyber thana but after such a shameless act, an FIR should be lodged against him instead. Moreover, ED should look into the case to probe money laundering. Now it is up to Chief Minister Hemant Soren to discuss Gupta’s fate with the Congress high command,” he said.
According to Congress’s Jharkhand in-charge Avinash Pandey @HemantSorenJMM All the Congress ministers of the government are doing a good job. This is a tableau of good work! May be the whole picture is left. https://t.co/uKZXnIDfSK— Saryu Roy (@roysaryu) April 23, 2023
Though Gupta refused to take calls, he took to Twitter to clear his stand. “In order to tarnish my image in social media and with a sense of political rancour, some prominent political opponents, under a well thought out conspiracy, have deliberately made a fake and edited video viral. Photo shop or any other editing is clearly visible in the video. This misdeed was done through an app. I have lodged an FIR. Soon after the police investigation in this matter, the truth shall prevail. Legal action will be taken against all those people who have tried to implicate me through this fake and edited video. Satyamev Jayate!”
State Congress leaders and the chief minister’s office did not respond to requests for a comment on the issue.
The incident brings fresh trouble for the Congress which on Saturday expelled Assam Youth wing Congress president Angkita Dutta for her alleged anti-party activities after she accused Indian Youth Congress (IYC) chief BV Srinivas of harassment and lodged a complaint in this regard.
Dutta appeared at the Chief Judicial Magistrate court on April 21 and her statement was recorded. In response to Dutta’s complaint and harassment allegations, Srinivas filed a defamation case and had sent her a legal notice.
In the 82-member Jharkhand assembly, including one nominated MLA, the JMM-led alliance has 48 MLAs (JMM 30, Congress 17 and RJD 1), and the BJP has 29 (BJP 26 and AJSU 3).
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