Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Wednesday sent a legal notice to Shashi Tharoor, the Congress MP and his challenger from Thiruvananthapuram, accusing him of making defamatory statements on a television channel.
According to a PTI report, Chandrasekhar alleged that Tharoor disseminated ‘patently false information’ regarding bribing of key voters and influential figures like parish priests by the BJP leader.
The notice sent by Chandrasekhar alleges that Tharoor’s statements were made with an intent to harm his reputation and image and the remarks disrespected the entire Christian community of the Thiruvananthapuram constituency.
“Shocked and surprised to watch the news video dated 06.04.2024 on a Malayalam news channel named 24 News, wherein you, the Noticee (Shashi Tharoor), made defamatory statements alleging that Our Client (Rajeev Chandrasekhar) had indulged in illegal activities of offering money to voters and that Our Client is spreading lies in Christian communities,” ANI quoted the notice as saying.
“Not only are the said statements totally and completely false but it is clear that the same was made with the clear mala fide intent to tarnish the reputation of Our Client to try and gain an unfair advantage in the upcoming elections,” the notice added.
While alleging a violation of the Model Code of Conduct, the defamation notice claimed that the statement were targeted at ‘injuring’ Chandrasekhar’s election campaign and benefiting Tharoor in the upcoming general elections, the PTI report added.
Chandrasekhar has demanded that Tharoor immediately ‘withdraw’ all allegations that he made against him on April 6, tender an unconditional public apology to him on print and electronic media and to “cease, refrain and desist from defaming, harassing, hampering the reputation” of the minister in the future.
It has warned that failure to comply with the stated conditions within 24 hours of receipt of the notice would lead to initiation of appropriate criminal and civil proceedings in a competent court of law, the notice added.
