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Delhi minister Gahlot filed defamation suits against BJP MLA Vijender Gupta
Gupta dismissed the allegations as baseless and hit back at Gahlot, saying that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government is trying to mislead people
State transport minister Kailash Gahlot on Thursday filed civil and criminal defamation suits in the Delhi high court against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Vijender Gupta, seeking ₹5 crore in damages and sought removal of media posts by the BJP legislator regarding alleged irregularities in procurement of public buses.
Gupta dismissed the allegations as baseless and hit back at Gahlot, saying that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government is trying to mislead people.
The Union government has recommended a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the purchase of 1,000 air-conditioned low-floor buses by the Delhi government, and a maintenance contract for them, both of which have been a sticking point between the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government and the state unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
On August 16, the ministry of home affairs (MHA) informed Delhi’s chief secretary Vijay Kumar Dev about the CBI probe. The ministry’s note, a copy of which HT has seen, said the ministry of home affairs (MHA), after examining the report submitted by a three-member panel appointed by lieutenant governor Anil Baijal has asked CBI to look into the matter.
On August 20, Gupta tweeted about the CBI inquiry. “CBI investigation started in DTC bus purchase scam. Dismiss transport minister Kailash Gahlot and arrest him. The Kejriwal government has tried its best to suppress the corruption of ₹5000 crore. Why did the Aam Aadmi Party leaders remain silent in the bus purchase scam?”, he tweeted. He posted the same on his Facebook account.
Over the next three days, his social media timeline shows, he posted similar allegations naming CM Arvind Kejriwal and deputy CM Manish Sisodia.
A statement by Gahlot’s office on Thursday said: “Transport minister Kailash Gahlot files criminal, civil defamation suits against BJP MLA Vijender Gupta for making scandalous allegations in the purchase of low-floor buses. Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot seeks Rs. 5 crore as damages in the civil defamation suit from BJP MLA Vijender Gupta for making reckless and malafide remarks against him. Transport minister Kailash Gahlot seeks action under sections 499, 501 against Vijender Gupta in the criminal defamation suit after he made scandalous allegations to gain political mileage.”
It further said, “Transport minister Kailash Gahlot pleas for an injunction order against Vijender Gupta seeking removal of defamatory content posted by him on Twitter & Facebook. Transport minister Kailash Gahlot moves to the high court to get Facebook, Twitter to remove scandalous content posted by Vijender Gupta against him.”
Dismissing the allegations as “baseless”, Gupta said he was talking about the findings of a panel appointed by the LG on the bus purchase controversy. “It is clear that Gahlot and the Aam Aadmi Party government is not being able to handle the pressure after their scam got exposed. The LG set up a fact-finding committee on the matter and I have only posted about findings of the committee. There is nothing slanderous or malicious in it. Let the investigation take place. The Delhi government is just trying to mislead people and trying to divert attention by filing such frivolous cases.”
HT reported on July 11 that the LG-appointed panel gave a clean chit to the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) in the tendering and procurement of the buses, although it found some “procedural lapses” arising out of “a bona fide decision making”.
“The tendering process of purchase of buses warrants no interference and suffers from no major infirmity... The committee, prima facie, did not come across any material to impute criminal misconduct attributable to any public official,” the report said.
It further said, “There were only procedural lapses apparently arising out of a bona fide decision-making process. However, a greater effort for understanding the market and a higher degree of due diligence in assessing reasonableness of bids was required compared to what seems to have been demonstrated.”
Editor’s Note: In a previous version of this article, Gupta was inadvertently quoted as citing a BJP panel while he was citing the findings of a panel appointed by the LG. The error is regretted.
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