New Delhi, Oct 1 : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Nitin Gadkari Monday filed a defamation case against Congress leader Digvijay Singh for dragging his name into alleged irregularities in the allocation of coal blocks.
Gadkari appeared in the court of Metropolitan Magistrate Sudesh Kumar and recorded a statement saying he was “not responsible for any coal block allocations to anybody”.
According to the complaint, Singh had named Gadkari in the allocation of coal blocks to a company belonging to BJP Rajya Sabha member Ajay Sancheti, said to be Gadkari's close associate.
”He (Digvijay Singh) has stated that I have business relations with Ajay Sancheti, MP, and to give the impression that I have been responsible for allocation of coal mines to him, which is totally wrong,” Gadkari said.
He added that he has no direct or indirect business relations with Sancheti or his companies. Gadkari said such statements published in newspapers and aired on news channel were totally false.
”These false and defamatory statements have spoiled my reputation and image in the eyes of the society and country. These statements have been made intentionally with the intention and knowledge to harm my reputation and lower my image in the eyes of the public,” Gadkari said.
He requested the court to take action against Digvijay Singh under section 499 (Defamation) of the Indian Penal Code(IPC) and to summon him.
In his complaint filed through advocate Ajay Digpaul and Anil Soni, Gadkari had alleged that Singh had made false, baseless, scandalous, fabricated and defamatory remarks against him.
The applicant said that it was done with wrongful intent to malign and tarnish the image of the complainant.
The statement was made to divert the focus of the public attention from the coal issues. The Congress is facing the heat for the allotment of coal blocks after the Comptroller and Auditor General's report.
According to Gadkari's application, Singh had said that Sancheti had earned Rs.490 crore from coal mines in Chhattisgarh.
The court has posted the matter for Oct 16 for further hearing.
