New Delhi, Feb 26 (IANS): Hours after suspended AAP MLA Kapil Mishra stirred up a controversy over his poem on social media hitting out at so-called enemies of the nation residing in the country, an Central government official lodged a formal complaint with the Delhi Police seeking an FIR against the legislator.
Ashish Joshi, an official of the Post and Telegraph Department, sent an official complaint against Mishra to the Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik, saying that "it is brought to your notice that one Kapil Mishra has circulated a highly incendiary video, provoking people to attack some citizens".
"I saw the video on Twitter. It has been uploaded on YouTube. The content of the video is self-explanatory and violates Indian Penal Code and IT Act," Joshi said in his letter to the Delhi Police.
"The letter is issued in public interest," he added.
Soon after the letter was shared by Joshi on Twitter, many people retweeted it. Senior journalist Barkha Dutt, senior Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan, and former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Ashutosh also retweeted it, demanding action against Mishra.
Mishra then also took to Twitter and said that he would lodge a complaint against Joshi, Bhushan, Kavita Krishnan and Ashutosh for circulating fake news against him.
"This man Ashish Joshi - misusing letterhead and playing agenda. This is not part of his job. Tomorrow I shall lodge a complaint for misusing his official position. I shall also lodge a complaint against Bhushan, Krishnan, Ashutosh for spreading false information about me."
"Another lie about me is also being spread that government has lodged a complaint against me. Ashish Joshi has misused his official letterhead. He is the same person who lodged a complaint against BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra. His only work is to promote the agenda of Left parties," Mishra said attaching few snapshots of the tweets shared by Joshi in the past.
The entire controversy erupted after Mishra on Monday morning recited and posted a video of a poem on Twitter hitting out at the so-called enemies of the nation within the country.
"It's Now or Never. Pull them out on streets, as the traitors are hiding inside our house. Kapil Mishra exposing Terrorism supporters in India," he said in his video.
Reacting sharply to the video, activist Shehla Rashid, as well as Dutt, Bhushan, Ashutosh, Krishnan took to Twitter to lodge a protest.
"Dear IPS Madhur Vermaji, this person who has a huge following and is an MLA from Delhi, is giving an open, emotive call to people to enter our homes, drag us to the streets and lynch us," Rashid tweeted.
"What a revolting man. This is direct incitement to violence and lynchijg and merits a jail term and account being scrapped ASAP cc," Dutt tweeted.