FIR registered against BJP MP Kangana Ranaut in Shimla over social media post on Gandhi family

The Himachal Pradesh Police registered a First Information Report (FIR) in Shimla on Friday, November 13, against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Kangana Ranaut over a social media post targeting the Gandhi family.

Superintendent of Police (Shimla) Gaurav Singh confirmed the registration of the case, stating that an investigation into the matter is currently underway.

Details of the Complaint and BNS Sections Invoked
According to police officials, the FIR was lodged on the basis of a written complaint submitted by retired Captain Atul Sharma, a resident of Shimla, who emailed the Director General of Police at 7:51 pm on Thursday seeking immediate legal action and a time-bound cyber-forensic probe.

Police registered the case under three provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS):

Section 196(1)(b): Pertaining to acts prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony between different groups.

Section 353(2): Covering statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred, or ill-will between classes.

Section 356(2): Relating to defamation offences.

Allegations Cited Against the November 10 Social Media Post
In his complaint, Captain Sharma alleged that the post shared from Ranaut’s verified social media account on November 10 went beyond political commentary and contained "highly inflammatory insinuations" regarding the deaths of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and her sons, Sanjay Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi.

Sharma pointed to several specific elements in the post:

Insinuations Regarding Sonia Gandhi: The complainant objected to references describing Congress leader Sonia Gandhi as a "mysterious foreign national" and alleged that the post implied she arrived at a cafe abroad before members of the Gandhi family died one after another, leaving her at the "head of the government," followed by the remark, "How convenient."

Reference to Maneka Gandhi: According to the complaint, the post also referenced Maneka Gandhi’s departure from the family residence after Sanjay Gandhi’s death.

Threat to Public Tranquillity: Sharma contended that the post circulated misleading claims capable of causing public alarm, fueling hostility, and disrupting communal harmony.

Context Behind the Resurfaced Video and Memoir Release
Ranaut’s social media post coincided with the circulation of an archival home video from around 1981 that recently resurfaced online, showing a family dinner attended by Indira Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Maneka Gandhi, and a young Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi.

The post was also published on the same day Sonia Gandhi’s memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, was released. Police officials stated that further legal steps will follow based on the findings of the ongoing investigation.