A Congress MP from Assam has sent a legal notice to a party MLA for allegedly making defamatory and derogatory remarks against him in a social media post.
The development has come as an embarrassment for the Congress ahead of the three-phase Assembly elections in March-April.
Barpeta MP Abdul Khaleque has demanded an “unconditional apology in the form of an affidavit sworn and attested before an executive magistrate” from Sherman Ali Ahmed, who represents the Congress from the Baghbar Assembly constituency.
The MP’s counsel has also threatened to initiate “criminal and civil action” if Mr. Ahmed does not tender an apology and delete the social media post immediately. The MLA had accused Mr. Khaleque of favouring a local contractor to secure a Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana phase III contract for a 7-km road in Barpeta district. The MLA alleged that the contractor had received the contract for the same road in 2008 under another project. He also accused the MP of using his influence to let the same contractor get the project.
Mr. Khaleque said the allegations were “nothing but cooked-up stories”.
