Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Shashi Tharoor booked for ‘false campaign’ against rival Rajeev Chandrasekhar

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Lok Sabha elections 2024: Senior Congress leader and Lok Sabha candidate from Thiruvananthapuram Shashi Tharoor has been booked for allegedly carrying out a false campaign against Union Minister of State and rival candidate Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Kerala police said on Sunday. The case against Tharoor was registered on 15 April on the complaint by BJP leader J R Padmakumar. According to news agency PTI's report, Padmakumar accused Tharoor of carrying out a false campaign against Chandrasekhar during a TV programme with regard to influencing voters of Kerala in the 2024 Lok Sabha election.

Congress MP has been booked under Sections 171-G (raising false statement in connection with an election) and 500 (defamation) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 65 of IT Act, a cyber police official told PTI adding that an investigation is going on in the matter. Tharoor is yet to react to the case registered against him. Tharoor was also served a defamation notice by the MoS for the same TV programme on April 10. In one of the allegations, Tharoor allegedly said that MoS IT is paying money for votes.

Chandrasekhar had sought "immediately withdraw" all the allegations made against him and for Tharoor to tender an "unconditional public apology". Tharoor had denied making false allegations against Chandrasekhar and had demanded withdrawal of statements and apology. Tharoor had also warned of legal action if his demands get ignored.