Himachal Pradesh Police have registered an FIR against BJP MP Kangana Ranaut over social media posts concerning the Gandhi family, following a complaint alleging that the remarks contained inflammatory and misleading insinuations capable of disturbing public tranquillity.
The case was registered at Boileauganj police station in Shimla on Friday, November 13, after retired Captain Atul Sharma, a resident of Shimla, approached the state police over posts published from Ranaut’s verified social media account on November 10.
Shimla Superintendent of Police Gaurav Singh confirmed that an FIR had been registered and said the allegations and related evidence were being investigated.
FIR Under Three BNS Sections
Police have invoked Sections 196, 353 and 356 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The provisions deal broadly with promoting enmity between groups, statements capable of causing public mischief and defamation, respectively.
The registration of an FIR does not establish the allegations against Ranaut. Police will now investigate the complaint and the social media material before deciding on further action.
Complaint Objects to Remarks on Gandhi Family Deaths
According to the complaint, Ranaut’s November 10 posts contained what Sharma described as “highly inflammatory insinuations” concerning the deaths of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, her son Sanjay Gandhi and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
Sharma alleged that the posts presented their deaths alongside Sonia Gandhi’s later political rise in a manner that could create a misleading suggestion of a connection between otherwise separate historical events.
The complaint also objected to Ranaut describing Sonia Gandhi as a “mysterious foreign national”.
‘How Convenient’ Remark Cited in Complaint
According to reports quoting the complaint, Ranaut’s post referred to Sonia Gandhi meeting Rajiv Gandhi abroad before recounting a sequence involving the deaths of Sanjay Gandhi, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi.
It reportedly ended that part of the post with the remark “How convenient”, which the complainant argued could insinuate a conspiracy without providing supporting evidence.
Ranaut’s original post did not present evidence linking Sonia Gandhi to any of those deaths.
Historically, Sanjay Gandhi died in a plane crash in June 1980, Indira Gandhi was assassinated by two of her bodyguards in October 1984, and Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in a suicide bombing in May 1991.
Sonia Gandhi Was Never Head of Government
One element of the social media narrative requires factual clarification.
The complaint says the post suggested that the deaths ultimately left Sonia Gandhi at the “head of the government”.
Sonia Gandhi, however, never served as Prime Minister of India. She became Congress president and later chaired the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance. After the UPA won the 2004 Lok Sabha election, she declined the prime ministership.
Dr Manmohan Singh subsequently became Prime Minister.
Maneka Gandhi Reference Also Part of Complaint
The complaint also objected to Ranaut’s references to Maneka Gandhi, Sanjay Gandhi’s widow.
Ranaut had reacted to an old family video that resurfaced online, commenting on what she viewed as Maneka Gandhi’s isolation within the household after Sanjay Gandhi’s death.
The BJP MP also referred to Maneka’s later departure from Indira Gandhi’s residence.
Historical accounts place the final rupture between Indira and Maneka Gandhi in 1982, around two years after Sanjay Gandhi’s death. Sonia Gandhi’s recently released memoir also gives her account of the family dispute that preceded Maneka’s departure.
Old Gandhi Family Video Sparked Fresh Debate
Ranaut’s remarks came after an archival home video, dating from around 1981, resurfaced on social media.
The footage shows members of the Gandhi family at a dinner table, including Indira Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Maneka Gandhi and young Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi.
The video captures a phone call bringing news of Rajiv Gandhi’s lead in the Amethi by-election, which he later won.
Social media discussion around the clip focused particularly on Maneka Gandhi’s reaction and her relationship with the rest of the family following Sanjay Gandhi’s death.
Complaint Sent to DGP by Email
Sharma sent his complaint to Himachal Pradesh Director General of Police Ashok Tewari by email at around 7.51 pm on November 12.
He subsequently recorded his statement at Boileauganj police station.
According to Sharma, he also supplied police with a printout of Ranaut’s social media account, the November 10 post and its URL.
The complainant has sought preservation of the digital material and a time-bound cyber-forensic examination to establish the authenticity, context and dissemination of the post.
Complainant Alleges Threat to Public Tranquillity
Sharma argued that the material went beyond legitimate political criticism and could, in his view, cause hostility or disturb public peace.
He alleged that the posts amounted to circulating misleading information capable of causing fear or alarm and could promote enmity between different groups.
These remain the complainant’s allegations. Whether the posts satisfy the ingredients of any criminal offence will be determined through the investigation and, if the matter proceeds, by the courts.
Sonia Gandhi’s Memoir Released the Same Day
The controversy coincided with the release of Sonia Gandhi’s memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, on November 10.
The book recounts her childhood in Italy, marriage to Rajiv Gandhi, entry into Indian public life and the personal and political upheavals surrounding the Nehru-Gandhi family.
It also discusses tensions between Indira Gandhi and Maneka Gandhi following Sanjay Gandhi’s death and Maneka’s eventual departure from the family residence.
The resurfaced family video and the memoir’s publication brought those decades-old family tensions back into public discussion.
Ranaut Has Not Responded to FIR So Far
As of the latest reports, Ranaut had not issued a public response to the FIR.
Police said investigators were collecting relevant evidence and following the normal course of investigation.
There has also been no judicial determination on the allegations at this stage.
The case will now hinge on the police examination of Ranaut’s original posts, their context and reach, and whether investigators find sufficient grounds to proceed further under the BNS provisions cited in the FIR.
