Ashneer Grover commented on Indore's top rank in the Centre's cleanliness survey. (FILE)
A non cognisable offence information report (NCR) was registered on Monday against BharatPe co-founder Ashneer Grover after a video showed him commenting on Indore's top rank in the Centre's cleanliness survey and purportedly claiming it had been "bought".
Indore city of Madhya Pradesh has remained on top in the Centre's Swachh Sarvekshan for six consecutive years.
Addressing an event in Indore on Sunday, Mr Grover is heard in the video saying, "See, there is a concept - playing to the gallery, that is, wherever you go, praise it saying I have never seen such a nice city. Now the problem with me is that for three-four years I have heard that Indore is the cleanest city...you have bought the survey. It's a simple thing." Mr Grover, however, immediately clarified he was not saying there was filth in Indore, and that he meant several construction works are going on in the city.
An NCR was registered against Mr Grover under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 499 (defamation) and section 500 (punishment for defamation) on the complaint received from the Indore Municipal Corporation, Lasudia police station in charge Taresh Kumar Soni told reporters.
"After an NCR is registered, if the complainant wishes, he can file a case in court at his personal level," Mr Soni explained.
Indore's Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava said, “I have seen Grover's video. His statement is an insult to the hard work of the city's people and sanitation workers for cleanliness. We will take appropriate legal action against this insult and also serve him a notice for defamation.” Indore Municipal Corporation chief sanitary inspector Sanjay Ghavri, on whose complaint the NCR was lodged, told PTI that Grover's controversial statement had insulted the people of the city.
"This statement has hurt thousands of sanitation workers of the city who are engaged in cleanliness work from early morning till late night," Mr Ghavri said.
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