Shimla, PTI
Sudhir Sharma, a former legislator from Himachal Pradesh Congress, who was disqualified from the assembly for not following party instructions, lodged a police complaint against CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu for defamation regarding his statement about MLAs sold for Rs 15 crore. Sharma had previously sent a notice demanding Rs 5 crore in compensation for the remarks. He has requested the filing of a First Information Report (FIR) against the CM.
Sharma, who is now contesting as a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate in the Dharamshala assembly bypolls, expressed concern over Sukhu’s allegations against him and other MLAs who joined the BJP. He highlighted Sukhu’s speech in Kutlehar on April 4, where the CM made baseless accusations about MLAs being sold for Rs 15 crore each.
In his complaint to the Superintendent of Police of Kangra and the state police chief, Sharma emphasized that Sukhu’s speech lacked evidence and had tarnished his reputation and that of his supporters. He urged immediate action against the CM for criminal defamation and misleading the public as a public servant.
Shalini Agnihotri, SP of Kangra, confirmed receiving the complaint via email. Sharma was one of the nine MLAs, including six Congress rebels and three Independents, who voted for the BJP nominee during the Rajya Sabha elections. The Congress rebels were disqualified for defying party orders. Later, all nine legislators joined the BJP and contested in the elections from their respective constituencies.
