'Fraudulent allegations': Shashi Tharoor warns Rajeev Chandrasekhar of legal action after notice

Shashi Tharoor versus Rajeev Chandrasekhar will be an interesting contest in Thiruvananthapuram in Lok Sabha election 2024.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Friday responded to union minister and BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar’s defamation notice against him, asserting that he did not make any false and malicious imputations against the minister – either knowingly or unknowingly.

Shashi Tharoor also asked Chandrasekhar to withdraw his statements and tender an apology. He warned the minister of legal action.

“He is not responsible for any other versions of the same program or any editing, post-production changes, studio recordings of casual talks, chats or any other acts that are not intended for broadcasting…My client is not responsible for any ‘slander’ as he has not uttered any,” Tharoor’s lawyer said in a statement.

“Your client is cooking up controversies to deflect people’s attention from his shortcomings and insufficiencies and to mislead their attention to couched up controversies, in his desperate bid to cause a dent on the popularity and acceptability of my client,” it added.

Also read: “I welcome a debate, but…” Shashi Tharoor accepts Rajeev Chandrasekhar’s ‘challenge’

Shashi Tharoor’s lawyer said they would take civil action against the union minister for making “malicious allegations”.

“If your client ignores the demands of this notice and continues with his efforts and attempts to defame my client by raising false and fraudulent allegations and accusations against him, my client will be constrained to prosecute your client for the offence punishable under Sections 500, 171G and 211 of Indian Penal Code. My client would also be constrained to initiate civil action for unliquidated damages for the loss and damages suffered by him due to the baseless and malicious allegations and accusations leveled against him by your client,” the statement read, as quoted by news agency ANI.

Rajeev Chandrasekhar’s legal notice to Shashi Tharoor

Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Thursday sent a legal notice to Tharoor – his electoral challenger in Thiruvananthapuram – accusing him of disseminating “patently false information” regarding the alleged bribing of key voters and influential figures like parish priests. He also said that the Congress MP’s statements were “made with an intent to harm his reputation and image”. He said that the allegations “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,” the legal notice said.

The BJP leader said that Tharoor “in his desperation, has flung a lot of allegations”.

“…One of them was that I am paying money for votes and I have said very clearly that I will not be drawn into this kind of politics. However, if anybody trespasses and lies about me, I will not be quiet. I will use all the tools under the law to ensure that person is held accountable,” he said.

With inputs from ANI

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