BJP sends defamation notice to Delhi minister Atishi over 'join us or face arrest' claim

BJP sues Delhi minister for poaching comments

The BJP has sent a defamation notice to Delhi minister Atishi after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader on April 2 called a press conference and claimed that she was asked to join the saffron party to safeguard her political career or face arrest.

Atishi gave “false, fabricated, and manipulated statements” with a malafide intention, which lowered the reputation of the BJP and its leaders, the notice sent by Delhi BJP’s spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor the same day said.

The AAP leader has been told to immediately withdraw her comments and "telecast" an apology prominently through television and social media platforms, failing which the BJP would initiate civil and criminal proceedings against her.

The war of words between the AAP and the BJP has escalated following the arrest of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in the Delhi liquor policy case, in which some of his party colleagues have been arrested as well.

Atishi is leading the party's charge in Kejriwal's absence by organising press conferences and leading protests against BJP's alleged vendetta politics.

“On April 2, you, held a press conference in which you have deliberately and with malicious intent made statements which are not only false, scandalous, concocted and illusionary, but defamatory to harm the reputation of BJP but also of its members,” the legal notice, a copy of which has been reviewed by Moneycontrol, said.

“In the entire speech, you have neither revealed specific information about the source of information nor you have given any details qua the act of BJP.”

Devoid of specifies, the statement was an “intentional endeavour to reflect your own imagination and apprehension”.

To call a press conference and name the BJP without disclosing the nitty-gritty “portrays your malafide intentions to demean the reputation of the BJP and my client”, the notice said.

Atishi had alleged that the BJP was pressuring her to join the party and was warned that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) would arrest her within the next month if she refused to comply.

Watch the video of Atishi's press conference 

She also claimed that the ED, which she has accused of working on behalf of the BJP, was planning to arrest her and colleagues Saurabh Bharadwaj, Durgesh Pathak and Raghav Chadha before the polls.

“Since the press conference, various persons have ridiculed my client for being members of such vicious party alleging that BJP does not believe in democratic values and is trying to run the country by way of dictatorship. Such behaviour of persons known to my client have caused distress, who believe in the democratic ideology of BJP,” the notice said.