AAP's Kumar Vishwas receives defamation notice over leaked audio tapes
New Delhi: Former Aam Aadmi Party MLA Rajesh Garg served a legal notice to AAP leader Kumar Vishwas on Monday for calling him a black-mailer and an opportunist. In the notice, Garg stated that Vishwas's remarks has tarnished his image and has asked him for an unconditional apology within 15 days from the receipt of the legal notice. The former AAP MLA asserted that if Vishwas fails to tender apology, he will initiate suit for damages and file a criminal case.
However, AAP on Monday suspended its former MLA Rajesh Garg for anti-party activities, following his charges that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was trying to poach six Congress MLAs to form government last year. Sources said, Garg was a "serial offender", which led the party to take the decision. "We are ready to form the government, but Congress is not ready to support us. Manish (Sisodia) is in touch with the Congress. Do one thing, split the Congress and ask their six MLAs to float a new party and support us," Kejriwal was purportedly heard saying in a telephonic conversation with Garg.
"Congress won't support us. We have been trying for the last one and a half month. These six Congress MLAs would have supported BJP, but three of them are Muslims. They won't support the BJP. Those six MLAs should support us," Kejriwal purportedly told Garg in the audio clip. Vishwas had alleged Garg of blackmail him in return for a party ticket in the Delhi Assembly election.
After the controversy broke over the clip, Garg feigned ignorance on how the clip became public saying he had e-mailed it to party leader Kumar Vishwas. "I had recorded the conversation. I have been in the anti-corruption movement and I keep on recording conversations. I was strictly against poaching MLAs and I stopped going to the party office after the episode," he said.
Garg is the second former AAP MLA to have faced disciplinary action by the party. Last year, Vinod Kumar Binny, a former AAP MLA representing Laxmi Nagar constituency, was sacked from the organisation for anti-party activity.
