A local Congress leader filed a defamation case against Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan in the Mavelikara First Class Judicial Magistrate Court II on Monday, accusing him of defaming and insulting the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and the Congress party.
Kumaradas, District Congress Committee member and a native of Charummoodu, filed the case through advocate Mujeeb Rahman before magistrate T.P. Prabashlal, alleging that Mr. Achuthanandan, in a speech made at Thamarakulam on Saturday, had insulted, defamed and hurt Rajiv Gandhi, his family and the Congress party as a whole. The speech was made at a public meeting held in connection with the inauguration of the Thamarakulam local committee office of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
Mr. Kumaradas alleged that Mr. Achuthanandan accused Rajiv Gandhi of justifying the “mindless massacre of Sikhs in the wake of his mother, Indira Gandhi's assassination”. Mr. Kumaradas alleged that the Chief Minister had attempted to denigrate the former Prime Minister, who was not arraigned as an accused in any of the cases related to any riot anywhere in the country.
The case, which has Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, MP, and Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president Ramesh Chennithala as the main witnesses, will come up for hearing on Tuesday.
