Former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal on Friday slapped a legal notice on Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu for defaming him by issuing statements in different media and tarnishing his image as a political leader and social worker.
Dhumal, who gave the legal notice through his lawyer, said that public statements published by different newspapers were issued by Sukhu since he assumed the charge of PCC and were defamatory in nature with the mere intention of tarnishing his public image.
Dhumal cited different media reports in which Sukhu had alleged ‘Dhumal and his member of parliament son Anurag Thakur commercialized politics’, ‘Dhumal, Anurag and Bindal put the land of Himachal Pradesh on sale during BJP rule’, ‘Anurag commercialissed cricket’, ‘Dhumal and Anurag downgraded the political values in State and others’.
“The statements given by you are baseless in nature, false, concocted, malafide and motivated and done with the motive of ill will and to bring discredit and dishounour to Dhumal,” said the legal notice given to Sukhu. The legal notice further added that such statement were issued by Sukhu, without any verification or investigation and are gross defamatory and slanderous allegations given with the motive of to gain political mileage.
“You have rendered yourself liable to action both civil and criminal by tarnishing the image of a person who has been former chief minister of the State with the motive to get political mileage and thus you are supposed to tender unqualified and unconditional apology, publically” said the notice on behalf of Dhumal to Sukhu.
The legal notice further said that if Sukhu does not tender unconditional apology publically and accept that the statements issued by him are false and baseless, legal course of action will be undertaken to claim the damage in accordance with the stature and reputation of Dhumal.
Asked about the legal notice, Sukhu said since he has received the legal notice only on Friday, he is exploring all legal options and if it is necessary he will give a suitable reply to the legal notice in accordance with law.