Jaipur: A political strategy firm involved in the Congress campaign in Rajasthan has filed a Rs 100-crore defamation case against a newspaper. The newspaper had reported that the results of a survey conducted for the party were sold to the BJP by one of the firm’s employees for Rs 20 lakh.
DesignBoxed, the firm in question, has worked closely with state Congress president DK Shivakumar during the Karnataka Assembly election and is now working on the political messaging for the Congress social welfare schemes in Rajasthan. The firm has also conducted surveys and provided feedback on political issues on the ground.
Earlier this month, there were rumors of a fallout between DesignBoxed and Rajasthan Congress President Govind Singh Dotasra. However, DesignBoxed Director Naresh Arora dismissed these allegations as “imaginary stories” propagated by vested interests trying to undermine the Congress’ campaign in the state. Arora expressed his utmost respect for Dotasra and Rahul Gandhi and stated that a Congress victory in Rajasthan is a certainty.
Following these allegations, a DesignBoxed employee was accused of selling the survey results to the BJP. Arora rebutted these claims on social media, calling them “fake news” and urging media houses in Jaipur to take them with a “big bucket of salt.”
In its defamation case, DesignBoxed has accused the newspaper of publishing the report without seeking its version and has demanded an unconditional apology. The firm has also warned that it will take similar legal action against any other “fake news” reports about its activities.