Kolkata Lawyer Clarifies Controversial Post on BJP IT Head

Kolkata-based lawyer Santanu Sinha clarified that his statements about BJP IT head Amit Malviya were misinterpreted, causing controversy. Sinha expressed sorrow if his post hurt Malviya but refrained from retracting it. He emphasized that his intention was not to defame but to caution against potential risks.

Kolkata-based lawyer Santanu Sinha, who faced a legal notice for allegedly making defamatory statements against BJP’s IT head Amit Malviya and the party's West Bengal unit, claimed on Tuesday that his comments had been “misinterpreted”.

Sinha stated he would not withdraw the contentious social media post, but expressed “heartfelt sorrow” if it had hurt Malviya.

''If my post hurts Mr Malviya and/or undermines my party due to such misinterpretation and editing, I express my heartfelt sorrow. Since my post was not made with the intent to malign, I will not withdraw it,” he said on Facebook.

Contacted for comment, Sinha clarified this was not an ''apology” but an attempt to clear the air on the controversy surrounding his misinterpreted statements.

“I wrote this fresh post to clarify my position following the extensive misinterpretation of my previous post,” he told PTI.

In his social media post, Sinha criticized the Indian National Congress, accusing them of using his post to spread a hate campaign against Malviya and the BJP.

Sinha also expressed surprise that state BJP members did not inquire into the purpose of his post, suggesting they played a ''dubious role''.

“My post was not intended to malign Malviya but to caution against entrapping schemes, initially highlighted by Tathagata Roy,” he explained.

BJP IT department head Amit Malviya sent a legal notice to Sinha for ''false and defamatory statements'' and demanded an apology.

West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar dismissed the allegations against Malviya as ''baseless'' and ''politically motivated''.