A criminal case was registered against BJP leader Subramaniam Swamy by the Hyderabad police on Monday after Telangana Congress leaders lodged a complaint against the Rajya Sabha MP's remarks that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi 'consumes cocaine'.
A case has been registered with the Abids Road Police Station after the Congress described Swamy's statement as 'vexatious, defamatory and scandalous'.
Speaking to reporters outside the police station on Monday, All India Congress Committee (AICC) National Spokesperson Dr Sravan Dasoju said that Subramaniam Swamy made the controversial statement "with an intent to provoke the general public, create hatred, to incite clashes between various classes of persons and to breach peace and tranquility."
He also pointed out that Swamy had levelled similar baseless allegations during the Lok Sabha election campaign, when he raised questions over Rahul Gandhi's nationality.
Demanding Swamy's suspension, Sravan said, "The behaviour of the BJP MP is in total contrast to the statement given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Parliament on morality. What action will PM Modi take now against Subramaniam Swamy?"
Sravan was accompanied by leaders including Telangana Congress Vice-President Dr Mallu Ravi, Telangana Youth Congress president Anil Kumar Yadav and others.
"The statement made by Subramanian Swamy is highly condemnable and unacceptable. The said statement was made to disrespect and defame Rahul Gandhi and the Indian National Congress Party in the eyes of the voters and general public. Although Subramanian Swamy is aware that the said statements were false, the same were made with an ill motive to encourage and bolster hostility between political parties and to further provoke people to indulge in illegal and notorious actions in breach of public peace and tranquility," the Congress leaders said in their police complaint.
They also pointed out that Swamy knew that his statement would be widely publicised and reach the general public to create a controversy.
In their complaint, the Congress alleged that Swamy made the statement with a criminal intent to cause an alarm and a sense of fear in the public.
While Swamy is yet to respond to the latest FIR, he had earlier responded to a case registered by the Chhattisgarh police.
"I am surprised that Chhattisgarh Police has registered a FIR against me for allegedly saying that RG is a consumer of cocaine hence created disorder in Congress. This FIR is stupid because the police did not do a Dope test to verify the truth (sic)," he had tweeted.
Earlier on Monday, the Telangana Congress workers also held a protest against Subramaniam Swamy and also burnt his effigy.