Sandeep Dikshit files defamation case against AAP’s Atishi and Sanjay Singh over ‘funding’ allegations

New Delhi: Sandeep Dikshit, senior Congress leader and also the candidate from New Delhi Assembly constituency filed defamation cases against Delhi Chief Minister Atishi and AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh on Thursday.

The move comes after two leaders accused him of receiving ‘financial support’ from the BJP during a recent press conference.

Atishi and Singh had alleged that BJP was funding Congress candidates in the ongoing Delhi Assembly elections.

“Sandeep Dikshit and the Congress candidate from Jangpura, Farhad Suri, are receiving BJP support. It’s now evident that Congress has a nexus with BJP in Delhi elections,” Atishi had claimed.

Sanjay Singh had claimed, “In the Lok Sabha elections, AAP campaigned for Congress as part of the INDIA bloc’s strategy. Yet Congress appears to be working against the alliance’s spirit. It seems their candidates and funding are coming directly from the BJP.”

Reacting to these allegations, Dikshit termed them as “baseless.”

Speaking to IANS, he said, “Just a few days ago, Atishi claimed that Farhad Suri and I took crores of rupees in cash from the BJP. Such a claim implies that I am a criminal and should be facing investigations under PMLA, ED, and the Prevention of Corruption Act. At that time, I demanded evidence, but none was provided. ”

“Now, I am filing both civil and criminal defamation cases against her. At the press conference, both Atishi and Sanjay Singh were present. I had already warned them to either provide evidence or face legal consequences,” he added.

Dikshit, the son of former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, is contesting from the New Delhi Assembly constituency against former Chief Minister and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal and BJP candidate Parvesh Verma.

When asked about INDIA bloc parties extending their support to AAP in the Delhi Assembly elections, Dikshit clarified that the alliance was never intended for state-level politics.

“The INDIA bloc was formed at the national level. It was never stated that it would hold specific significance at the state level. Now, which party supports whom is their prerogative,” he said.

He further elaborated, “At the national level, every party wants to rally under the leadership of Congress. However, at the state level, some parties might feel that supporting Congress could weaken their own position. This might explain why they are standing against Congress in Delhi.”

The defamation cases mark a significant development in the political dynamics of the Delhi Assembly elections, further highlighting the ongoing tensions within the INDIA bloc at the state level.

IANS