New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh Minister for Jal Shakti, Dr Mahendra Singh, has sent a legal notice of defamation to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh for his allegations of corruption which the former has described as ‘false’ and ‘baseless’.

In the notice, filed on Wednesday through Mahendra Singh’s advocate, the Uttar Pradesh Minister has accused Aam Aadmi Party’s Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh of “intentionally and deliberately making false allegations and malicious remarks in public through a press conference and also via social media which are derogatory and defamatory.”

According to the notice, the baseless allegations with relation to the Government of Uttar Pradesh made by Sanjay Singh, who is AAP’s in-charge of UP affairs, are completely false, fabricated, fake and are not backed by any evidence.

‘AAP MP made false allegations in public to gain political mileage’

“As a responsible Rajya Sabha Member from AAP, it is your duty to ensure that such reckless and scandalous statements are not made which would malign the image of a senior leader. Such disparaging remarks made publicly reveal your ulterior ill-motive of causing serious damage to the plaintiff’s reputation,” read the petition.

The Aam Aadmi Party, which has been actively trying to topple the working of the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government in Uttar Pradesh through its explosive claims, had accused UP Minister for Jal Shakti, Dr Mahendra Singh, of corruption worth thousands of crore rupees in the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission, a charge which has been refuted by the BJP minister.

‘Cheap publicity stunt by maligning reputation of others’

AAP leader has been asked to reply within 15 days or else the defamation suit will be filed against him in the court of law.

AAP MP Sanjay Singh through a press conference on August 8 had alleged that the Ministry of Jal Shakti in the Uttar Pradesh government gave contracts worth thousands of crore rupees to a allegedly tainted company.

However, refuting the charges, Mahendra Singh said that the government has not floated any tender for the supply of pipes.

“I want to tell you in the capacity of minister of Uttar Pradesh government, the UP government has not done any tender for supply of pipes. Any work in Uttar Pradesh is being done through Engineering Procurement and Construction Mode. And you must be knowing that in the EPC, procurement and construction – both are included. The company which gets the tender, purchases the materials and does construction. Companies are free to purchase from any source. The UP government cannot force a company to purchase pipes from a certain company,” said Mahendra Singh.