Jhajjar politics heats up as Vats, Sharma clash over Rajya Sabha voting claims
The notice asserts that Vats had exercised his franchise in favour of the Congress candidate and denies any wrongdoing
The recently held Rajya Sabha polls sparked a row between Congress MLA from Badli (Jhajjar) Kuldeep Vats and former MLA Naresh Sharma, with Vats serving a legal notice to Sharma for his remarks on social media accusing him of casting an ‘invalid’ vote in the election. Notably, in the election, four Congress votes were declared ‘invalid’, and apart from Tohana MLA Paramvir Singh, the identities of the remaining three legislators did not come to light.
The legal notice alleges that Sharma made “false, malicious and baseless” statements accusing Vats of illegally influencing and cancelling his vote during the Rajya Sabha election held in Chandigarh on March 16. The notice asserts that Vats had exercised his franchise in favour of the Congress candidate and denies any wrongdoing.
The notice alleged that Sharma repeatedly circulated defamatory statements against Vats through multiple social media platforms, including posts on Facebook and subsequent videos uploaded on YouTube and other pages with an intention to tarnish his reputation and mislead the public.
Describing Vats as a “reputed public figure” and a second-time MLA from the Badli constituency, the notice highlights that no disciplinary action or communication has been issued by the party against him, which clearly indicates that the allegations levelled by Sharma are “false, concocted and motivated.”
The notice claims that the repeated allegations, including accusations of bribery and cheating, have caused serious harm to Vats’ reputation and goodwill, not only in political circles but also among constituents.
It further states that the ‘false’ statements have resulted in mental agony, harassment, public humiliation and political damage to Vats, lowering his image in the eyes of voters. The notice emphasises that the allegations are entirely fabricated and have been made with mala fide intentions to defame him.
In the notice, Vats has asked Sharma to immediately cease and desist from making or circulating any defamatory statements. He has also sought the removal of all such posts and videos from social media platforms within 48 hours of receiving the notice. Additionally, Sharma has been asked to issue a public and unconditional apology on the same platforms where the allegations were made.
The notice also seeks damages amounting to Rs 5 crore for the alleged loss of reputation, mental agony and harm caused to Vats. It warns that failure to comply with these demands within 15 days would compel Vats to initiate both civil and criminal proceedings against Sharma in a court of law, holding him liable for all legal consequences and expenses.
While confirming the development, Sharma said he does not file reply to such notices.
