Mr Ajay Singh had reportedly called Mrs Chouhan "a currency counting machine". He had also held her responsible for the unabated illegal mining in the state
statesman news service
BHOPAL, 21 JUNE: In a first of sorts, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and his wife, Mrs Sadhna Singh Chouhan, have served a legal notice on MP Assembly Leader of opposition, Mr Ajay Singh, for his alleged derogatory and defamatory remarks against Mrs Chouhan. This is the first legal notice served by the couple on anyone, ever since Mr Chouhan assumed office on 29 November, 2005.
Through the six-page legal notice dated 18 June served through a Delhi-based legal firm, LexCounsel, the Chouhans have demanded an unconditional withdrawal of all allegations by Mr Singh publicly.
The notice states that if Mr Singh does not do so within seven days, the chief minister and his wife will take appropriate civil and/or criminal action against the Congress leader.
The reasons for the notice include several statements reportedly made by Mr Singh in the recent past. On 4 June, during the Congress’ "parivartan yatra" at Khargone, Mr Singh had reportedly called Mrs Chouhan"a currency note counting machine". He had also held her responsible for the unabated illegal mining in the state.
"Shivraj Singh ji ne sarvajanik jeevan me avivahit rehne ka sankalp liya tha. Phir raj-neeti me chamakte hi ve Sadhna Singh
ke roop me note ginane ki machine laye (Shivraj Singh had pledged to remain a bachelor throughout his public life. But, as soon as he clicked in politics, he brought in a currency counting machine in the form of Sadhna Singh)," Mr Singh had reportedly said at Khargone during the Parivartan Yatra. Earlier, at a public meeting in Sagar on 9 May, the Leader of Opposition had alleged the chief minister’s wife was behind the sale of banned gutkha pouches at high prices across the state.
The legal notice not only expects Mr Singh to take corrective actions strictly in accordance with the notice in lieu of his grave, false and unsubstantiated allegations against the chief minister and his wife but also warns Mr Singh of the consequences that would ensue should he fail to comply with the notice.
Political watchers feel the notice is an outcome of the recent personal attacks by the Congress leader on the chief minister and his family, and it would act as an effective deterrent on the Congress leader, who has recently become quite vociferous in his attacks on the chief minister.
On the other hand, some analysts are also seeing this as an achievement of sorts by Mr Singh, who has finally succeeded in provoking Mr Chouhan, who till now has only frustrated the Opposition leaders by conveniently choosing to remain quite to all allegations by the state Congress.