TMC’s Saket Gokhale being questioned for faking papers to defame PM Modi

New Delhi, Dec 06: Trinamool Congress leader, Saket Gokhale who was arrested for allegedly spreading fake news on Rs 30 crore being spent on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's trip to Morbi, Gujarat had faked documents. The police had learnt that he had faked documents to allege that Rs 30 crore had been spent on the PM's trip.

It may be recalled that Gokhale was among the many others who cited an RTI report to claim that the administration in Morbi had spent Rs 30 crore on the PM's visit of which a major chunk was spent on PR.

Gokhale was detained by the Gujarat police from Rajasthan on Monday night following his tweet on the PM's visit to Morbi, where a bridge collapse had killed over 130 people in October. The complaint against Gokhale was lodged by senior BJP leader Amit Kothari and the charges included were forgery and defamation.

The government too had fact-checked the tweet by Gokhale in which he had shared a newspaper clipping and said 'RTI revealed the PM's visit to Morbi cost Rs 30 crore.' The Press Information Bureau had said that this tweet is fake and no such RTI response has been given.

Quoting an RTI, It is being claimed in a tweet that PM’s visit to Morbi cost ₹30 cr.#PIBFactCheck

▪️ This claim is #Fake.

▪️ No such RTI response has been given. pic.twitter.com/CEVgvWgGTv

— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) December 1, 2022

Following his arrest, Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee said, ' fearless he stood against the ruling dispensation that trades lives for their own profit. In reaction, panic-stricken @BJP4India got out Nat'l Spokesperson @SaketGokhale arrested by Gujarat Police. It's their folly to think these acts of intimidation will make us to bow down!," he said in a tweet.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited the injured in Morbi on November 1, two days after the tragedy. Due to the bridge collapse over 130 lost their lives.