Congress candidate Sandeep Dikshit, contesting from New Delhi Assembly, announced on Tuesday that he would file defamation suits against Delhi Chief Minister Atishi and AAP MP Sanjay Singh. The defamation cases stem from allegations made by Atishi that Dikshit took money from the BJP.
Dikshit’s Response to Allegations
During a press conference, Dikshit stated that he would seek ₹10 crores in damages through the defamation suits. He added that the money would be used for cleaning the Yamuna and addressing pollution issues in Delhi. Dikshit responded to Atishi’s claims, referencing her statement from five or six days ago, and criticized AAP’s continuous attacks on the Congress party and his family over the past decade.
Dikshit also brought up a past incident involving Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who reportedly presented 360 pages of newspaper cuttings as evidence against the Sheila Dikshit government. Dikshit questioned the credibility of this evidence, stating, “Arvind Kejriwal showed 360 newspaper cuttings. He is the first person who gives newspaper cutting as evidence.”
Defamation Lawsuit Plans
Dikshit explained that he would file both criminal and civil defamation cases against Atishi and Sanjay Singh. He emphasized that the allegations were made on the day former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh passed away, which had prevented him from holding a press conference earlier. Dikshit vowed to ask for ₹10 crores in damages, with half of the amount earmarked for Yamuna cleaning and the other half for tackling Delhi’s pollution.
Criticism of Kejriwal’s Election Promises
Dikshit also took aim at Arvind Kejriwal, criticizing the AAP’s election promises of welfare schemes for the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections. He questioned why these schemes were being introduced now when AAP had been in power for the past five years. Dikshit pointed out that Kejriwal had wasted a year and a half in prison and could have resigned earlier to finish pending work. He challenged Kejriwal, asking if he would be able to implement these schemes if he became Chief Minister again.
Election Context
These remarks come as Sandeep Dikshit prepares to contest against Arvind Kejriwal for the New Delhi Assembly seat in the upcoming elections, set for early next year.