BJP sends defamation notice to Minister Atishi over allegations

The Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Media Head, Praveen Shankar Kapoor, issued a defamation notice to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Minister, Atishi on behalf of the party on Wednesday, concerning her recent allegations made against the party.

During a press conference on Tuesday, Atishi claimed that she had been threatened with arrest unless she joined the BJP, with the alleged threat conveyed by an associate. She also alleged that she had been alerted about potential raids by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on her residence, as well as on the homes of her family and relatives.

Additionally, during her press conference, Atishi stated that summons were expected to be issued to her and other AAP leaders — Durgesh Pathak, Saurabh Bharadwaj, and Ragav Chadha — resulting in their arrest within a month. The defamation notice mentions, “You have deliberately and with malicious intent made statements which are not only false, scandalous, concocted, and illusionary, but defamatory to harm the reputation of BJP but also its members.”

Further, it reads, “Various persons have contacted the undersigned and blamed/ridiculed my client for being members of such a vicious party alleging that BJP does not believe in democratic values and is trying to run the country by way of dictatorship. Such behaviour of persons known to my client have caused distress not only to my client but also to all those who believe in the democratic ideology.”

The notice concludes by stating that unless Atishi issues an apology, the BJP will pursue a defamation case against her.