Uttar Pradesh: Congress President Ajay Rai Files Defamation Case Against CM Yogi Adityanath Over Fish Remarks

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Congress president and former minister Ajay Rai on Tuesday filed a defamation case against Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, alleging that remarks made against him over eating fish in Ayodhya were false and objectionable.

Rai filed the defamation claim in a civil court in Lucknow, saying the allegations had caused him hurt and were aimed at damaging his public image and reputation.

The Congress leader alleged that false facts were presented about him and said making baseless allegations against a person in public life was a serious matter.

Rai said he had approached the court to seek legal remedy and would respond to the allegations through the judicial process.

Defamation case filed

The controversy relates to remarks by Adityanath concerning Rai's visit to Ayodhya and his eating fish. The issue had triggered a political exchange between the BJP and Congress, with the Congress leader rejecting the allegations against him.

Rai maintained that the claims made against him were factually incorrect and had the potential to harm his reputation.

The controversy

The controversy began after a programme was organised to welcome Rai at a lawn in the Tarun area of Ayodhya. A video of the event subsequently surfaced on social media, with claims that preparations were being made to serve fish. There were also claims that more than two quintals of fish had been arranged for the event. The video and the claims about the quantity of fish could not be independently verified.

The issue gained traction because the event was said to have taken place during Sawan and on Ekadashi, days considered significant by many Hindus. Some Hindu seers criticised the Congress over the alleged fish feast, saying it had hurt religious sentiments and demanded a public apology.

Political reactions

Ramesh Das, a priest at Hanumangarhi, said Congress leaders spoke of visiting Ayodhya to seek the blessings of Lord Ram and saints, while an event that could hurt the sentiments of the Sanatan community was allegedly organised during the same period. He demanded an explanation from the Congress and an apology from Rai.

Uttar Pradesh minister Om Prakash Rajbhar also targeted the Congress over the controversy. He said organising a fish feast during Sawan would cross the limits of what was considered acceptable by many people.

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Rajbhar also commented on whether the preparation could be considered vegetarian, saying fish cooked with onion and garlic was non-vegetarian, while suggesting that a preparation without onion and garlic could be treated differently. He asked the Congress to clarify whether onion and garlic had been used in preparing the fish.

Rai denies allegations

Rai has denied the allegations against him and maintained that false facts were being presented to portray him in a negative light. He said such allegations could cause serious damage to the reputation of a person in public life.