Uttar Pradesh Power Minister Shrikant Sharma on Thursday sent a defamation notice to UPCC president Ajay Kumar Lallu giving him an ultimatum to apologise within 24 hours for making “indecent allegations” against him regarding the ₹2,600 crore EPF scam in the State power department.
“The notice has been sent to the Congress leader by the Energy Minister for making wrong, derogatory and indecent allegations against him in connection with the case,” PRO in the energy department Ankush Tripathi said.
In case Mr. Lallu does not offer an apology, a case will be registered against him under the IPC, the Minister warned.
“The Minister has stated that he has no role in the investments in the DHFL or Sunblink Company and he has never had any meeting with the officials of any of these companies,” Mr. Tripathi said, adding that he has reiterated that he had not gone to Dubai, as claimed by Mr. Lallu.
The notice said, “the statement made by you (Lallu) is totally wrong, malicious and misleading. You have given this statement without verifying the facts as part of a conspiracy” to harm Mr. Sharma’s image and prestige and to defame him.
‘No role in it’
“A trust of the department manages the provident fund of the employees and Mr. Sharma neither occupies any position in it nor has a role in it,” the PRO said.
The Minister also reiterated that the decision to invest in the DHFL was taken during the previous government headed by Akhilesh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party.
