3 Congress Workers Detained In Bhopal In Vasundhara Raje "Fake Letter" Row

A political storm has erupted across Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan after a controversy over an alleged "fake letter" linked to former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia. The letter, which criticised the BJP's stance on issues such as the women's reservation bill, has spiralled into police action, detentions, and a full-blown war of words between the BJP and Congress.

The flashpoint came when Rajasthan Police reached Bhopal and detained three Congress IT Cell workers over the circulation of the disputed letter on social media. The move has triggered sharp outrage within the Congress, which has termed the action "undemocratic" and accused authorities of using police machinery to silence dissent.

The detained workers were taken into custody in connection with the viral content, prompting senior Congress leaders to rush to the MP Nagar police station in Bhopal in protest. Party leaders questioned the legality of targeting select individuals for content that had already been widely circulated across platforms, arguing that the action violates both due process and freedom of expression.

Reacting sharply, Rajya Sabha MP Vivek Tankha alleged that the Madhya Pradesh Cyber Police had kept the three Congress workers in custody for over 27 hours without substantial grounds. Calling the situation "shocking," Tankha said that singling out a few individuals for a post seen and shared by millions was neither fair nor legally sustainable. He warned that the party would move the Madhya Pradesh High Court if the workers were not released.

Congress State In-charge Harish Chaudhary also slammed the action, calling it a direct attack on democratic principles. "Keeping party workers in custody for over 24 hours for social media activity is condemnable and reflects misuse of power," he said, demanding immediate release and a fair probe.

State Congress President Jeetu Patwari escalated the attack further, claiming the controversy had exposed deeper political contradictions. He questioned why only Congress workers were being targeted when the same content had been widely shared. "If the letter is fake, act against everyone. If it is genuine, stop suppressing the truth," he said.

The BJP, however, maintains that the issue is not about dissent but about the circulation of forged material, framing it as a matter of legal accountability rather than political targeting.

Amid the escalating row, Vasundhara Raje issued a strong statement, asserting, "Truth needs no protection from fire," and dismissed the viral letter as the handiwork of "well-wishers." She reiterated her support for the Women's Reservation initiative led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and accused opponents of attempting to create confusion.