Viral Comments by Ashneer Grover on Indore Lead to Defamation Lawsuit

Ashneer Grover Faces Defamation Suit for Accusing Indore’s Cleanest City Ranking as ‘Bought’.

_{^{Ashneer Grover Faces Defamation Suit for Accusing Indore’s Cleanest City Ranking as ‘Bought’. (Photo: Instagram/ @ashneer.grover)}}

On Monday, a defamation case was lodged against Ashneer Grover, co-founder of BharatPe, following his controversial statement that Indore’s status as India’s cleanest city, as per a central government survey, was “purchased.”

Grover’s comments, which have since gone viral, triggered significant outrage, leading to the filing of the case under Sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code, which pertain to defamation and its penalties.

In a video from an event, Grover can be heard stating, “The problem with me is that for three to four years, I have heard that Indore is the cleanest city. You have bought the survey. It’s a simple thing.” This remark was met with jeers from the audience, which had applauded the city’s achievement just moments earlier.

Grover quickly clarified his statement, asserting that he merely meant that there was substantial construction activity in Indore and did not intend to imply that the city was littered with filth. He explained to the audience that the cleanest city ranking considered not only “chip packets” but also debris.

In response to the video, Pushyamitra Bhargava, the Mayor of Indore, expressed his displeasure, calling Ashneer Grover’s statement an “insult to the hard work of the city’s people and sanitation workers in maintaining cleanliness.”

Madhya Pradesh’s Indore has consistently secured the top spot as India’s cleanest city for six consecutive years in the Centre’s Swachh Survekshan Awards.

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Toshika Chauhan