New delhi, June 14: A Day after Delhi BJP chief Vijender Gupta claimed Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit was forcibly removing posters put up by his party, the latter has slapped a defamation notice on him.
Gupta had written to both Delhi Police Commissioner Y S Dadwal as well as Lieutenant Governor Tejendra Khanna claiming that BJP’s posters were removed on June 11 at the CM’s behest. The letter claimed DTC officials have been directed by Dikshit to remove BJP hoardings — questioning the government on various issues since Gupta took over as state chief — from all bus shelters. This time the posters were targeting the government on the much-delayed power tariff change.
In her reply, Dikshit called the allegation a conspiracy to ‘malign her reputation and image’ and sent a notice to Gupta through her advocate Mehmood Pracha. The Chief Minister has demanded that Gupta tender an unconditional public apology within three days.
The legal notice states that “huge hoardings at various prominent locations across Delhi, violating the outdoor advertisement policy approved by the Supreme Court, were conspired to be displayed by the Delhi BJP under Vijender Gupta. The MCD administration ruled by BJP later swung into action after realising this violation of the Supreme Court approved policy on advertisements and decided to remove them”.
“I have not personally received any notice as I am attending BJP’s meeting in Patna. However, from what I hear, this is merely a gimmick by the Chief Minister to divert attention of citizens from the real issue,” Gupta told Newsline.
Dikshit’s notice has, however, brought cheer to the BJP camp. For the first time in several years, Dikshit has engaged in a direct battle with the BJP president, instead of dismissing his party as a weak one.
——–Agencies