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MHA Slams Gokhale’s Bomb Factory Claim; Cop Out, Says RTI Activist

Amit Shah had alleged there were bomb-making factories in West Bengal. Gokhale had filed an RTI regarding the same.

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The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), in a series of tweets on Thursday, 11 March, refuted activist Saket Gokhale’s claim of Home Minister Amit Shah perpetrating fake news about “bomb making factories in West Bengal.”

The MHA further accused Gokhale of “misrepresenting the facts” and “misquoting the reply” of the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO).

Meanwhile, Gokhale, on his part, asked the home ministry to then furnish the correct details backing Shah’s claims; and accused them of ‘lying in a bid to cover their lies.’

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WHAT WAS THE RTI ABOUT?

Saket Gokhale, on 18 October 2020, via an RTI, asked the home ministry to provide details of bomb making factories in West Bengal, after Home Minister Shah, in a televised interview, alleged that said factories existed in ‘every district of the state.’

Gokhale had, in his RTI application, requested the ministry to:

  • Provide a list of such factories in West Bengal, arranged district-wise
  • Inform if any briefing regarding the same had been given to the home minister, and if yes, provide a copy of the said briefing
  • State whether the remarks of the home minister on the subject were based on official inputs by agencies and the ministry
  • State whether a list of these alleged bomb factories had been shared with the West Bengal government or police.

Home Minister Shah, in an interview to News18, had said with regard to poll-bound West Bengal:

“See, in West Bengal, the law and order situation has completely collapsed. Corruption is at its peak. There are bomb-making factories in every district. The situation is extremely bad and the violence is unprecedented.”

Amit Shah had alleged there were bomb-making factories in West Bengal.  Gokhale had filed an RTI regarding the same.
Saket Gokhale’s RTI application.
(Photo: Saket Gokhale/Twitter)
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WHAT DID GOKHALE ALLEGE?

Sharing a screenshot of an RTI response, Gokhale had tweeted saying that the “home ministry’s answer is NO. They claim they do not have any such info.”

Gokhale also said: “Further, the home ministry claims law & order is a state subject.”

“Ergo, that answers the 4th question I'd asked which is: ‘Has info about these alleged bomb factories been shared with West Bengal Police.’”

“They haven't done that. Why? Because no such factories exist.”

Gokhale had also gone on to express his shock at the response:

“It is SHOCKING that the Union Home Minister of India would openly perpetrate fake news about internal security matters just to malign & insult the state of West Bengal for electoral gains (sic).”

“How can the home minister be trusted when he lies openly on record about things?” Gokhale asked.

As per the screenshot shared by Gokhale, the RTI response read:

“The information asked by you vide point number 1 to 3 is not available with the offices of which the undersigned is the CPIO. It is further that ‘police’ and ‘public order’ are state subjects as per Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India and State Police is the first responder in case of an criminal/terrorist activity.”
Amit Shah had alleged there were bomb-making factories in West Bengal.  Gokhale had filed an RTI regarding the same.
RTI response, as tweeted out, by Saket Gokhale.
(Photo: Saket Gokhale/Twitter)

The Central Public Information Officer (CPIO) further told Gokhale that he may obtain the factual information from State police/UT authorities.

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WHAT IS THE MHA SAYING NOW?

The Ministry of Home Affairs, however, has dubbed Gokhale’s tweets as a misrepresentation carried out with a “malicious intent.”

Sharing screenshots of Gokhale’s tweets, the MHA alleged that the response shared by him was to a different RTI query.

Amit Shah had alleged there were bomb-making factories in West Bengal.  Gokhale had filed an RTI regarding the same.
Amit Shah had alleged there were bomb-making factories in West Bengal.  Gokhale had filed an RTI regarding the same.

The MHA also pointed out that the CPIO had received two online RTI applications from Gokhale on 12 January 2021, “one in MHA and other one from Department of Legal affairs”.

Both these applications sought information on three specific points related to the involvement of Khalistani organisations in the ongoing farmers’ protest, the ministry added.

The screenshot of the response shared by Gokhale, as that to his bomb factories questions, was actually the MHA’s response to his questions on Khalistani involvement in protests, the ministry said.

Thus, as per the MHA, Gokhale “misrepresented” their response.

“To buttress his claim, Shri Gokhale linked the copy of reply of CPIO with a different application, purportedly made on 18th October 2020 on another subject altogether which was neither received by this particular CPIO, MHA nor replied by him.”   
MHA   

Further, the MHA alleged that Gokhale had “deliberately obliterated” the retrench number of the RTI reply, in a bid to mislead the public and spread “canard” on social media.

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GOKHALE REFUSES TO BACK DOWN

Gokhale, however, has held his ground, asking if this is a “cop out” used by the home minister.

Amit Shah had alleged there were bomb-making factories in West Bengal.  Gokhale had filed an RTI regarding the same.
Amit Shah had alleged there were bomb-making factories in West Bengal.  Gokhale had filed an RTI regarding the same.

He also challenged the ministry to “produce file notings here in PUBLIC about the 18th Oct RTI on bomb factories in Bengal.”

Pointing out that the stipulated time for response is 30 days and we are now in March, Gokhale wrote:

“Come on @PIBHomeAffairs, show the kaagaz & prove it. (sic)“

Gokhale also asked: “So, they responded to a Jan 2021 RTI but have kept the Oct 2020 one pending?”

Further, he said if the home ministry does not tweet the file of his 18 October RTI, he will file a writ petition.

“First you lie. And then you shamefully lie to cover up your lies. You’re the home ministry for heaven’s sake.”   
Saket Gokhale   

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