BJP State president Kanna Lakshminarayana sent a legal notice to AP Planning Board Vice Chairman C. Kutumba Rao seeking unconditional apology for his remarks against him that he would pay ₹10 lakh to the BJP State president if he managed to get the deposit in the election. Mr. Rao has entitled to defamation compensation of ₹10 crore for his remarks that damaged the reputation and caused mental agony, torture and humiliation, he said in the notice.
His counsel V. Srinivasa Raju sent the notice, a copy of it was released to the media on Sunday.
The BJP leader said that Mr. Rao’s statements, challenges and offers would amount to betting in elections and violation of the Model Code of Conduct which was prohibited and also punishable.
As Mr. Rao was drawing a salary from the state exchequer, he was not supposed to issue political statements and throw open challenges. He should confine himself to responsibilities like assisting the State government in the planning of economic and financial matters of the government.
Also, he did not change his attitude even though the poll code was in vogue, which was highly objectionable, the BJP leader said.
Mr. Rao did not follow the Election Commission rules, which clearly stipulates that no government servant shall be associated with any political activity.
The rules also state that no government servant shall canvass or otherwise interfere or with use his influence in connection with taking part in an election. But, Mr. Rao, in his press conferences on March 27 and 28, had violated the rules with his open offers and claims that the TDP would get more than 125 seats while YSRC Party would not get more than 30 Assemble seats.
It sent wrong signals to the voters with regard to the BJP candidates in the State, he pointed out.
Claiming that he was entitled to the “damage which he had suffered” since the publication of the news and also word of mouth publicity thereafter, Mr. Lakshminarayana sought an unconditional apology in a week from Mr. Rao. Else, appropriate legal proceedings, both civil and criminal, would be initiated against without any further notice, he added.