'Doctored, part of conspiracy': Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar's son on viral video on 'Rs 100 cr' transaction

Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar's son Devendra Pratap Singh Tomar on Monday rejected allegations that he was discussing bribe money from mining businessmen and said the purported video going viral was 'fake'. 

Narendra Singh Tomar, an MP from Madhya Pradesh's Morena, is the incumbent central agriculture minister. Ahead of assembly polls in MP, a video purportedly showing his son and a "middleman" talking about several crore rupees went viral on social media on Monday. However, the minister's son said the video was "doctored". A case has been filed against an unknown person on the basis of a complaint by Devendra Tomar.

In his complaint, Devendra Pratap Singh Tomar said, "A viral video has surfaced where it is falsely claimed that I have conducted transactions worth crores. This doctored video is part of a conspiracy to malign me and create a negative impression. Fake video clips are being circulated on various social media platforms with the malicious intent of damaging my public image and reputation."

In the purported clip, the minister's son is seen talking to a man over a video call and discussing "moving" funds worth Rs 100 crore. In another call recording, a man is heard telling Tomar that "his Rs 18 crore" had been deposited in four different bank accounts.

Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate shared the tweets containing the video and demanded an investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). "In the viral video, Narendra Singh Tomar's son Devendra Singh Tomar is talking about where to open bank accounts to take crores of rupees from mining businessmen - whose money is it and why is it being given? Remember Narendra Singh Tomar was the mining minister in Modi government," Shrinate said in a tweet.

 The police said that an FIR had been registered against an unknown person and investigations were on.

The Congress has also demanded the sacking of Narendra Tomar until the investigation was complete. "Narendra Singh Tomar is a powerful man not just in Delhi, but also in Madhya Pradesh. A free and fair investigation isn't possible until his son is arrested," Shrinate said. The party also said that a case of money laundering should be registered.

Piyush Babele, media advisor of Madhya Pradesh Congress and former Chief Minister Kamal Nath, shared the video on social media, urging the ED, CBI, and Income Tax department to verify its authenticity.

The controversy erupted just weeks before the assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, which will vote in single phase on November 17.