'Apologise or face legal action': Congress after Kangana Ranaut accuses Himachal govt of diverting funds to Sonia Gandhi
After BJP MP Kangana Ranaut claimed that Congress' Himachal Pradesh government illegally transferred funds meant for disaster relief to Sonia Gandhi, the grand old party has responded strongly, warning the MP-actor of legal action.
PTC News Desk: After BJP MP Kangana Ranaut claimed that Congress' Himachal Pradesh government illegally transferred funds meant for disaster relief to Sonia Gandhi, the grand old party has responded strongly, warning the MP-actor of legal action.
Vikramaditya Singh, Himachal's Public Works Department Minister, has warned Ranaut that she must withdraw the statement or face legal action. "If Kangana fails to retract her statement, we will sue for defamation. On what grounds did she make such a claim? It is extremely unfortunate that she made a statement against a leader of Sonia Gandhi's stature," Singh said Monday afternoon.
"There cannot be a more foolish statement than saying funds coming from the Centre, or the state's funds for development, are being given to Sonia Gandhi," he continued. "I openly challenge Kangana to show proof of even Re 1 being diverted... or apologise to Sonia Gandhi for such baseless allegations..."
Singh also lambasted Ranaut's "intellectual bankruptcy," noting that the actor-politician was only last month chastised by her party for comments about the farmers' protest.
"The BJP has already advised her... not to make statements on sensitive matters. However, it appears she has not followed the advice of her party's high command," he said.
Singh also lambasted Ranaut's "intellectual bankruptcy," noting that the actor-politician was only last month chastised by her party for comments about the farmers' protest.
"The BJP has already advised her... not to make statements on sensitive matters. However, it appears she has not followed the advice of her party's high command," he said.
Regarding the specific charge that the Congress' Himachal Pradesh government "takes loans and gives them to Sonia Gandhi, which has made the state's finances hollow," Singh stated that money from the central government and the uses for which it is allocated is properly audited.
"It is a defamatory statement and we condemn it. She should produce evidence within a week... if she fails to do so and does not apologise, we will bring a criminal defamation case," Singh stated.