Ajit Jogi seeks Sonia's nod to sue Chhattisgarh Congress chief Bhagel

RAIPUR, Jan 3: Beleaguered former Chhattisgarh chief minister, Ajit Jogi, has sought the permission of AICC president, Sonia Gandhi, to file a defamation suit and register a crimil case against state unit chief, Bhupesh Baghel, for maligning him by dragging his me in the “unsubstantiated” audiotapes that indicate fixing for the Antagarh by-poll. Addressing the media here on Sunday, Jogi said Baghel had called him a “trouble shooter” for chief minister Dr Raman Singh without any evidence or proof about the authenticity of the tapes. He said he had already appraised the party leadership about his stand on the tapes and submitted a written response for the same.

Saying that he is a Congress loyalist, Jogi said by dragging his me in the controversy, Baghel had “defamed” him, as the tapes were “fabricated” and “false”. He said he had sought Sonia’s permission to file a civil defamation suit against Baghel, besides registered a crimil case against him under the IT Act. Claiming that he is a victim of a deep rooted “conspiracy”, Jogi said he had written another letter to Sonia detailing the mes of some senior state and tiol Congress leaders, who had conspired against him and leaked the “false” tapes to a tiol daily. He said he had also written to State Congress General Secretary Girish Dewangan and apprised him of all the details regarding the tapes and the conspiracy behind it. (Agencies)