Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Badal Thursday filed a defamation suit against Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, seeking Rs 1 crore in damages from him for making “malicious” allegations against the Badal family.
Mann welcomed the defamation suit, saying that it will give him another chance to expose the “misdeeds” of the Badal family.
Badal filed the suit in a court in Muktsar district as he referred to Mann’s accusation levelled during the ‘Main Punjab Bolda Haan’ debate held at an auditorium of the Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana on November 1. The Congress, SAD and BJP had skipped that debate.
The suit stated that Mann indulged in a drama on November 1 by asserting precious water of Punjab was taken by the plaintiff and his family to their farmland in Balasar village of Haryana by constructing a private canal.
It said the chief minister made this “scurrilous” statement despite knowing the real facts of the case.
Badal said Mann was regularly making false, unsubstantiated and scurrilous statements against him, adding that the chief minister had portrayed him as well as the Badal family as “highly corrupt people who had looted Punjab besides calling them anti- Sikh and anti-Punjab”.
“All this has been done as part of a preplanned conspiracy of the chief minister in league with his political bosses,” Badal said in a statement.
CM Mann, at an event in Sangrur, said he will make a plea for daily hearing of the case to ensure that people are apprised about the “sins” of Badals.
Mann alleged that Badals “ignored” the interests of the state only for the sake of constructing a canal to their farmhouse by Haryana as reward for his “treachery” with the state.
He said, “Not only this the business of Badals in terms of hotels, villas, transport and others have flourished at the cost of the progress of the state, which will be told to the people in detail.” Mann said Badal is contesting the case for saving his property whereas he will go to the court to save the people.
The chief minister said he will tell the world about all the “misdeeds” of the Badal family due to which the state had lagged behind in various fields.
Those people who used to claim that they will rule the state for 25 years have been totally rejected by the people, said Mann.
The defamation suit, filed by Badal’s counsel Manjinder Singh Brar, also noted that sufficient time had been given to the chief minister to apologise for his conduct by issuing a legal notice on November 17, 2023.
It also stated that the damages of Rs 1 crore when awarded would be distributed among families of martyrs who laid down their lives for the country.
Later, speaking to reporters in Muktsar, Badal said Mann has a habit of lying and his politics is based on lies.
“Now, he will have to appear in court and explain his lies. We will not let him misuse his position as chief minister to indulge in slander,” said Badal.
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