'Withdraw false allegations' BJP's Rajeev Chandrasekhar sends legal notice for defamation to Congress counterpart Shashi Tharoor

BJP's candidate for Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, has sent a legal notice for defamation to his Congress counterpart running from the district, Shashi Tharoor. 

In the notice, Chandrasekhar accused Tharoor of spreading false propaganda and information among the city's constituents. He said that Tharoor had allegedly disseminated wrong information in an interview on a Malayalam news channel, '24 News', regarding Chandrasekhar bribing the voters and noteworthy figures like Parish priests to win the upcoming polls. 

"Our Client was shocked and surprised to watch the news video dated 06.04.2024 on a Malayalam news channel named "24 News", wherein you, the Notice, made defamatory statements alleging that Our Client had indulged in illegal activities of offering money to voters, and that Our Client is spreading lies in Christian communities. Not only are the said statements totally and completely false but it is clear that the same was made with the clear mala fide intent to tarnish the reputation of Our Client in order to try and gain an unfair advantage in the upcoming elections", the legal notice read.

Moreover, the notice demanded Tharoor to withdraw all allegations he made on the news channel and further tender an unconditional public apology to Rajeev Chandrasekhar, to his satisfaction, through print and electronic media. 

This legal notice comes shortly after Tharoor violated Rule I(2) of the Model Code of Conduct, which strictly states that political candidates must confine their criticisms to "their policies and programme, past record and work" and refrain from making criticisms of other parties or their workers based on "unverified allegations or distortion".

In this instance, there is no evidence to support Tharoor's claims made to "24 News" that Rajeev Chandrasekhar sent money to influential voters in the constituency, including parish priests and other religious and community leaders, without revealing their identities to the public.

The legal notice further stated that, “It is apprehended that you (Shashi Tharoor) have concocted these allegations and circulated them in order to influence the voters in Thiruvananthapuram. It is feared that you have engaged in spreading such false news in order to subvert the process of free and fair elections. It is feared that your statements are now being circulated by your agents, supporters, and party members through various platforms including social media and messaging apps to spread the false allegations” against Rajeev Chandrasekhar.