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Rejecting charges of his involvement in the 2G spectrum allocation scam, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam chief M Karunanidhi on Sunday issued a legal notice to Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy, demanding retraction of his 'statement' linking him to the scam within 24 hours.
The DMK patriarch, in his notice to Swamy, dismissed the allegation as "motivated by your personal malice, political rivalry and clamour for cheap publicity."
Karunanidhi's notice issued through counsel P R Raman comes a day after Swamy's plea in a Delhi court for continuance of his private complaint in the case, seeking to claim that it covered a wider canvas of "involvement" of the DMK patriarch.
The Janata Party leader had said he intends to file an application seeking to implead Karunanidhi in the case, as there was sufficient evidence to that effect.
"In newspaper reports dated February 6, 2011, you are believed to have made an open press statement that the so-called 2G spectrum case was much wider than what is being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation and that you have personal knowledge that the alleged 2G scam also involves concerns of national security and involvement of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister," the notice said.
The statement was made "recklessly" with the intention of causing "serious injury" to Karunanidhi's image and reputation, the notice issued to Swamy's Chennai residential and official address, which was released to the media, said.
"Our client categorically states that he has no involvement whatsoever in the so-called 2G spectrum case and your attempt to involve his fair name is motivated. The statement constitutes a wilful and malicious defamation of his character," it said.
The notice asked Swamy to immediately issue a public retraction of the statement within 24 hours, failing which Karunanidhi would institute appropriate civil and/or criminal proceedings against him for defamation of character.
It said Karunanidhi is "acknowledged to be an elder statesman in Indian politics," besides being a five-time chief minister.
The Delhi court had last month held as "maintainable" Swamy's private complaint filed on December 15 last year. Swamy had pleaded that his complaint be taken cognizance of and former telecom minister A Raja be summoned to take the case to its logical conclusion.
The Janata Party president had also requested the court to appoint him "as a deemed public prosecutor under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act."