From Our Correspondent
Guwahati: Former Lok Sabha MP from Assam and a senior leader of ruling Congress, Kirip Chaliha has slapped legal notice of Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi for the latter’s comments on a purported derogatory remark made by Chaliha against a woman IPS officer posted in the home district of the chief minister.
In the legal notice served to the chief minister by Chaliha’s advocate, has demanded unconditional public apology in the print and electronic media, failing which legal proceedings for legal damages, compensation and other necessary legal action will be initiated.
Addressing a press conference here, Chaliha alleged, “The chief minister has accused me of maligning a woman IPS officer’s reputation in order to tarnish my public image.”
The former Lok Sabha MP from Congress party, in a television interview, had reportedly question the ‘alleged unusual proximity’ of a woman IPS officer, who also is the lone Assamese woman IPS officer, with the chief minister.
Reacting to Chaliha’s comment, the chief minister Gogoi stated before the media that such comments were ‘ highly condemnable’ especially when it is made against a woman officer. He also said that Assam State Women Commission should register a case against Chaliha for making such comment.
Claiming that his statement was a ‘gender neutral’, Chaliha on Wednesday said, “The chief minister is engineering a smear campaign against me as part of a political vendetta for reasons best known to him.”
He alleged that Gogoi was using his powers to harass him by implicating him in false cases, including the current controversy.
Referring to the Assam State Commission for Women suo moto case on his purported derogatory remarks, Chaliha alleged that the Commission was influenced by the chief minister to do so. “My reputation and image has been severely damaged by these allegations and chief minister’s statements later have tarnished my image further,” he said.
