Kolkata: Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari on Friday had slapped a legal notice to former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP and former Union Minister John Barla for allegedly baseless comments against him after defecting to Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Thursday.
“My client categorically denies your allegations. At no point has he interfered with your legislative, developmental or public welfare initiatives. Your attempt to falsely implicate him in administrative obstruction is not only devoid of any factual basis, but also deliberately designed to damage his standing and mislead the public for political gain,” reads the notice sent to Barla by the LoP's lawyer.
Notably, Barla after defecting to TMC had alleged that the LoP had created hindrance in his path when he wanted to spend Rs. 160 crore to build a hospital in his Lok Sabha constituency.
Adhikari mentioned that Barla had been miffed since he was denied ticket in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
“He has been making baseless statements and is reading out scripts given by IPAC,” said Adhikari.
However, Barla mentioned that he will proceed accordingly after getting the legal notice.
Meanwhile, the Bengal chapter of BJP on Friday had taken out Tiranga Yatra in Kolkata for the success of ‘Operation Sindoor’.
“We are not doing it under any political party banner as this operation is a success for every Indian. Many people have joined cutting across party hues,” said BJP state president and MoS Sukanta Majumdar.