Anupam Kher threatens legal action

"In his article published in the CPI-M journal People's Democracy, I was dubbed as an RSS man responsible for the saffronising process. I strongly object to this," Kher said a day after his removal from the chairman's post.

"They (the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance) are so dependant on Surjeet that if asked to bend, they crawl," he cried, attacking the Left parties for his "humiliating" removal, saying he was "dumped by those in power for a mere 60 seats (in the Lok Sabha)."

Surjeet had written against Kher in the CPI-M weekly People's Democracy as one of the National Democratic Alliance government's appointees who should be removed from their posts in the 'desaffronisation' campaign.

Hitting out at the UPA, Kher said he was made a "scapegoat" and wondered how some central ministers could be in office "while in jail or running away."

He said his lawyer has sent a letter to Surjeet asking him to publicly deny the statement within 48 hours or face legal action.