Clarify stance on purported 'obscene' viral video of Gupta: BJP to Jharkhand CM

A day after a purported video of Jharkhand Health Minister Banna Gupta in an "obscene" phone conversation with a woman went viral, the BJP on Monday demanded that Chief Minister Hemant Soren and Congress Party should immediately clarify their stance on the incident.

BJP MP from Jharkhand's Godda Nishikant Dubey on Sunday night had shared a video clip on social media purportedly showing Gupta engaging in an "obscene" phone conversation with a woman which was described by Gupta as a "fake and edited" video to tarnish his image.

"The chief minister and the Congress party should clarify their position on the viral obscene video related to the Health Minister of the state...The accused minister is a senior colleague in his (CM's) cabinet," BJP said in a statement questioning the silence on the part of Congress on the issue.

Also Read | Jharkhand bandh: Students hit streets demanding 100% quota in jobs for locals

Hitting out at Congress the BJP said not a single tweet on the issue by Congress party senior leaders including Rahul Gandhi exposed its character while the public is waiting for action against a person sitting on such a responsible post.

The veracity of the video, however, could not be confirmed.

Former BJP minister and Independent legislator Saryu Roy demanded lodging of an FIR against the Health Minister and making him the main accused.

The Congress is part of the ruling alliance in the state led by the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and both Congress and JMM remained silent on the issue.

Meanwhile, a woman claiming to be in NSUI has alleged that her photo was used in the viral video on social media and she would lodge an FIR with the police.

Roy in a tweet said: "The Jamshedpur police should take suo motu cognizance of Jharkhand Health Miniser's obscene video chat case, and register an FIR. Make the minister the main accused, ask him about the girl. Seize the minister's mobile from which the chat was taking place and seize the mobile also from which screen recording was being done from the other side."

"Jamshedpur police should give security to the woman with whom the Honorable Health Minister of Jharkhand was engaged in chat on the midnight of April 17 that went gone viral. The girl works in a furniture house in Jamshedpur. Its owner was in Samajwadi Party along with Banna ji, and currently he is in BJP," Roy said in another tweet.

On Sunday night, the Health Minister in a statement had said that the purported video was part of a conspiracy and that a complaint had been filed with the police.

"I have lodged an FIR in this connection and police will soon probe it.... I will take legal action against the persons who have tried to frame me," Gupta had said.

Dubey had posted the 19-second clip on Twitter and wrote, "This is the character of @INCIndia, this is the so-called matter of Jharkhand Health Minister Banna Gupta ji. Playing with dignity of women, Congress worker Sushil Sharma burning his wife in oven, I wish Gandhi family could understand, if this is found true then the Congress should drown itself in shame."