Rakesh Pathania to sue Rajan Sushant for defamation

Tribune News Service

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Dharamsala, October 29

Forest and Sports Minister Rakesh Pathania today said that he would file a defamation case for Rs 2 crore against former BJP parliamentarian Rajan Sushant, who is contesting the Fatehpur Assembly byelection as an Independent candidate.

Pathania, while addressing mediapersons here, said that during election campaigning in Fatehpur, Sushant levelled allegations that earlier forest guards were recruited at the rate of Rs 9 lakh but now the rate had increased to Rs 22 lakh. He added that it was shocking to hear such allegations from a five-time MLA and former minister.

“I have discussed the matter with Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, BJP president Suresh Kashyap and organising secretary Pawan Rana. These leaders have advised me to file a defamation case against Rajan Sushant and I am going to move court in the matter soon,” he said.

Pathania said that Sushant was the Revenue Minister in the BJP government between 1998 and 2003 and he should tell people at what rate patwaris were recruited during that time. He added that Sushant had sensationalised the issue of the thrashing of SDO Sanjay Bharadwaj at the IPH rest house in the Sansarpur Terrace area two days ago. The SDO was drunk and in the morning he even could not identify the PSO of Industry Minister Bikram Thakur against whom he had levelled the allegation of beating him, he added.

Pathania said that Leader of the Opposition Mukesh Agnihotri had manufactured the issue of shifting of the office of Chief Engineer (Projects) of the IPH Department from Fatehpur to Mandi district. “If he was so concerned about the shifting of the office, he should have taken up the issue in the Assembly session. He is now raising the matter to influence voters,” he added.

The minister claimed that the BJP would win the Fatehpur byelection. Meanwhile, Sushant was not available for his comments over Pathania’s allegations.