Himachal Police Register FIR Against Kangana Ranaut Over Social Media Posts On Gandhi Family

Shimla: Himachal Pradesh Police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Bharatiya Janata Party MP Kangana Ranaut after a local resident alleged that her social-media posts about the Gandhi family made provocative remarks about the deaths of former prime minister Indira Gandhi and her sons, Sanjay and Rajiv Gandhi.
The case was filed at the Boileauganj police station on Friday, a day after Shimla resident Atul Sharma approached Director General of Police Ashok Tewari and sought action over posts made from Ranaut’s verified X account on November 10.
Sharma alleged that the posts described Sonia Gandhi as a “mysterious foreign national” who allegedly reached a cafe abroad before her relatives died one after another, leaving her at the head of the government.
The complaint also mentioned the remark — “How convenient” — and the reported removal of Maneka Gandhi from the family home after Sanjay Gandhi’s death.
Police Action
Superintendent of Police, Shimla, Gaurav Singh said an FIR had been registered against the Mandi MP following Sharma’s complaint. The complainant said the posts were not ordinary political criticism and could create hostility, disturb peace and affect national integration, as reported by The New Indian Express.
The FIR has been registered under Sections 196, 353 and 356 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and relevant sections of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
Section 196 deals with promoting enmity between groups, Section 353 covers statements causing public mischief, and Section 356 relates to defamation.
In his email to the police chief, Sharma asked the police to preserve the digital evidence, verify the posts and conduct a cyber-forensic examination. He alleged that the posts spread false information to create fear or alarm, promoted enmity between groups and contained claims harmful to national integration.