Bihar BJP Renews Attack On Prashant Kishor For 2020 Election Campaign Data 'Theft'

BJP's Bihar unit spokesperson Danish Eqbal on Thursday renewed the attack on Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor for the 2020 election data "theft".

The case pertains to the alleged theft and misuse of election campaign data and intellectual property from a Congress member.

Eqbal, addressing the media and also releasing a video statement, said: "Prashant Kishor has been exposed. Those who preach morality are themselves involved in serious crimes under IPC Sections 467, 468, 471, 420, 406 and 120B. These are charges of forgery, fraud, and conspiracy. In Patliputra PS Case No. 94/2020, his role resembles that of a professional criminal."

Eqbal further attacked Kishor, accusing him of misleading the public with his "Baat Bihar Ki" campaign, which he claimed was based on stolen content.

"The people of Bihar now recognise these masked leaders. They are not leaders, but thieves," he said.

Eqbal also shared the document related to the case. The case was filed by Congress worker Shashwat Gautam on February 25, 2020, alleging that he had been developing an election campaign titled 'Bihar Ki Baat' at his Patliputra Colony office.

The campaign involved data collection, strategy planning, graphic design, and branding, all of which were reportedly stored on an office laptop.

Gautam alleged that Osama Khurshid, a volunteer who had previously contested Patna University elections on a JD(U) ticket, came to the office and took the laptop containing the data. While the laptop was later returned, Gautam claimed the data was misused.

According to the FIR, Prashant Kishor launched a similar campaign named 'Baat Bihar Ki' on February 18, 2020, allegedly using the stolen materials. The domain for Kishor's campaign was registered on February 16, just two days before its public announcement.

The complainant accused Kishor and Khurshid of conspiring to misappropriate intellectual property.

The anticipatory bail application for Prashant Kishor was filed during the COVID-19 pandemic under relaxed procedural rules.

The case is pending before the Court of Sub Judge XII-cum-ACJM, Patna.

Kishor's lawyer, Arun Kumar, argued that his client is innocent, has no criminal antecedents, and was falsely implicated for political reasons.

Kishor's lawyer emphasised that the data allegedly stolen was publicly available and multiple similar domain names had been registered in recent months, weakening exclusivity claims.

Kishor is a professional election strategist, and any resemblance in campaign themes is coincidental or a result of standard practices in the industry.

It was also submitted that Osama Khurshid, not Kishor, was directly accused of taking the data.

When approached for comment, a senior Jan Suraaj official and media coordinator declined to respond to the allegations.

"Prashant Kishor will answer on this matter in the future," he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)