Congress MP Abdul Khaleque files Rs 10 cr defamation suit against party MLA Sherman Ali

BARPETA: Abdul Khaleque, the Congress MP from Barpeta in Lower Assam, has filed a Rs 1 crore defamation suit against a party MLA from Baghbar assembly constituency, Sherman Ali Ahmed, before Civil Judge, Kamrup(metro) over reportedly making "defamatory and derogatory" remarks against him on social media.

 

It has been alleged that on February 25, Sherman Ali Ahmed issued defamatory and slanderous statements against Khaleque through a Facebook post.

 

It needs mention here that Khaleque was accused by the MLA of favouring a local contractor name Gunajit Nath to secure a Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) phase III contract for a 7-kilometer road in Barpeta district.

 

Sherman Ali had alleged that the contractor was given the contract for the same road in 2008 under a different project, but the poor quality of construction caused the locals to suffer for the next 12 years.

He also accused the MP of exploiting his role to allow the same contractor to get the Rs 8 million contract.

 

https://www.facebook.com/100004157074903/videos/1975955692552981/

 

ALSO READ: Assam Congress MP Abdul Khaleque Receives Death Threat for Opposing ‘CAA’

 

Khaleque, on the other hand, called the MLA's accusations "cooked up stories without any foundation or evidence, made just to jeopardise" his image and credibility.

 

Khaleque had earlier demanded an unconditional apology before an executive magistrate in the form of an affidavit sworn and attested from Sherman.

 

Facebook India has also been made a party in the suit.

 

Khaleque in his suit has prayed before the court to pass an injunction against Facebook to delete the defamatory video where Sherman Ali maligned him.

 

Earlier in January this year, Khaleque also received a death threat on his WhatsApp from an unknown number, evidently for opposing the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).