BHOPAL, Sept 27:
Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh today said that he was ready to withdraw the defamation case filed by him against former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Uma Bharti only if she apologises in court for “levelling false allegations” against him.
“If Bharti apologises to me in the court and admits that the allegations levelled (against me) by her were false, I will withdraw the defamation case against her,” Digvijay told reporters after appearing in the court of the chief judicial magistrate (CJM) here in connection with the case.
The court adjourned the hearing till October 17.
Uma, in the run-up to 2003 Assembly elections, had accused Digvijay of being involved in a scam of Rs 15,000 crore during his 10-year-long tenure as chief minister in the state.
Uma succeeded Digvijay in 2003 who became chief minister for the first time in 1993.
On the proceedings in the court, Digvijay said that Uma’s counsel cross-examined him, and other witnesses related to the case will record their statements soon.
When asked whether the court has suggested him to go for an out-of-court settlement, Digvijay said that he only wants Uma to apologise in the court.
“Leave alone Rs 15,000 crore, she (Uma) was not even able to prove a corruption of Rs 15 against me,” he said.
Referring to the ongoing Special Task Force (STF) probe into the alleged Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (MPPEB) scam and the status of his petition in the High Court demanding a CBI probe, Digvijay said that STF has been “selective” in arresting people.
“STF is taking action by watching faces of the people. It is not taking action against RSS and BJP leaders despite having proofs against them in the scam and arrested only those who have paid money to the middlemen.
“It (STF) has taken action even against those students who have just spoken to the middlemen and have not paid a single paisa to them. However, STF is not arresting those actually responsible for the scam,” Digvijay alleged. (PTI)
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