New Delhi: Cricketer-turned-politician and the BJP’s candidate from the East Delhi Lok Sabha constituency, Gautam Gambhir has sent a defamation notice to Atishi Marlena, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, all leaders of the Aam Admi Party (AAP), as per a report by ANI.

It can be recalled that hours earlier, AAP leader and East Delhi candidate Atishi on Thursday, May 9, broke down at a press conference where she and her party accused Gautam Gambhir of circulating pamphlets with derogatory and casteist remarks about her. Earlier in the day, Atishi said at a press conference, “I feel very sad as I speak to the media. I feel sad that politics has stooped so low in the country.” Gambhir had denied the allegations and said that he will withdraw his nomination if Atishi’s accusations were proven correct, adding that he would also file a defamation suite against the AAP leaders.

ANI reported that in the defamation notice, Gambhir asked the leaders to render an “unconditional and unqualified apology” for “defaming him with the false and baseless allegations” against him and to “cease and desist” from further circulation of the “impugned statements”. It also mentioned the statements made by the AAP leaders on Twitter.

The notice warned that Gambhir would take civil and criminal legal action if the three AAP leaders did not comply and submit an apology.

The BJP candidate also alleged that the statements about him at the press conference were made to cloud the judgement of the voters in the East Delhi constituency and to manipulate them.

With inputs from ANI