Ghulam Nabi Azad serves defamation notice to Jairam Ramesh

PTI

Srinagar, February 24

DPAP chairman Ghulam Nabi Azad has sent a legal notice to Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh for calling him a “slave”, “Mir Jafer” and a “vote-cutter.” The notice, sent through Azad’s legal counsel Naresh Kumar Gupta, seeks compensation of Rs 2 crore for causing damage to Azad’s “unblemished reputation.” “That you Mr Jairam Ramesh (Notice Receiver)… always remain in search of occasion to tarnish and harm the growing dignity, respect, honour conferred upon him (Azad) at national level... by way of repeated posts in your Twitter account word ‘Ghulam’ in order to inflict injury to lower him in the estimation of others, soon after Mr Azad was honoured by Padam Bhushan Award,” the notice read.

Ramesh used the name “Ghulam” in order it to mean “slave”, which it translates to, deliberately and intentionally, to defame the leader in the public, Gupta said in the notice.

He said Ramesh through his statements committed an offence under Section 500 of IPC and is liable to pay monetary compensation.

Mir Jafar, who served as the commander of the Bengal army under Siraj-ud-Daulah, the Nawab of Bengal, betrayed him during the Battle of Plassey, paving the way for British rule in India. Since then, his name has become a synonym for “traitor.” Azad had left congress in August 2022 and formed his own party, naming it Democratic Progressive Azad Party.

The notice said that the “imputation and defamatory aspersions” statements made against Azad in press statements were based purely on malice, and have caused Azad “mental agonies, torture, harassment” and tarnished his image, “which can’t be repaired.” Gupta advised Ramesh to tender an unconditional apology through print-electronic media and on social media to Azad, or through any sort of communication, within two weeks from the date of receipt of the legal notice.

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