Delhi Environment Minister Imran Hussain has slapped legal notices on BJP legislators Vijender Gupta and Manjinder Singh Sirsa and rebel AAP MlA Kapil Mishra for allegedly levelling false allegations against him over the tree-felling issues. The identical legal notice from Hussain alleged that the three MlAs held a protest on June 27 where posters and banners were displayed charging “corruption” by the Minister.

“The notices made libellous allegations. For instance, you had protested and published inter-alia that my client has indulged in corruption and he had given permission to cut the trees in Delhi after taking an amount of Rs 23 crore,” read the legal notice.

During the protest, banners and posters were used that carried the “slanderous allegation”, it said.

The allegation was widely covered by print and electronic media as well as social media leading to damage of Hussain and his party AAP’s reputation, it said.

“The tenor of false allegations made by you not only intended to defame my client but also illegally and mischievously defamed reputation of my client and his party,” it added.

However, Vijender Gupta, who is the leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, said Hussain was trying to deflect the fact that the Environment Department headed by him received Rs 23 crore for compensatory plantation for felling of trees under the colony redevelopment project but did “nothing”.

“I have not received the notice but an appropriate reply will be given to Hussain,” he said. The notice has demanded the trio to seek unconditional apology or face civil and criminal proceedings to be initiated by Hussain.

The issue of felling of a large number of trees for the Centre's redevelopment plan of seven colonies has assumed political proportions with AAP and BJP coming out with allegations and counter-allegations against one another almost on daily basis.