Dharamshala A day after Himachal Pradesh chief minister (CM) Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu claimed six Congress rebels and three independents were sold for ₹15 crore each, Sudhir Sharma, former congress legislator from Dharamshala, who recently joined the BJP, on Friday sent a defamation notice to the CM asking for a ₹5-crore compensation.

The notice has been served for the vilifying tirade and repetitive mud-slinging speeches comprising highly insinuated and extremely derogatory and defamatory assertions, duly published and circulated.

“By way of present notice we are hereby forewarning you that appropriate civil and criminal proceedings for defamation shall be initiated against you as per law as the following circumstances have been brought to our notice, which clearly show and establish the insinuating and venomous slanderous defamation perpetrated by you maliciously, with malafide intentions and out of clear spite and vengeance on one hand and to gain cheap publicity on the other hand and to denigrate and defame our client without any just cause or excuse,” the notice read. During a rally in Himachal’s Una district on Thursday, Sukhu alleged that the Congress rebels are corrupt and will go behind bars.

The CM had made the remarks against the nine legislators, including six Congress rebels and three independents, who had voted in favour of the BJP nominee Harsh Mahajan in the Rajya Sabha polls held on February 27.

These MLA had later joined the BJP and the six Congress rebels who were disqualified for defying a whip to be present in the assembly and vote in favour of the government during the cut motions and the budget were given tickets by the BJP from their respective assembly constituencies.

Sharma, who is also a former minister, was among six Congress legislators who voted in favour of the BJP candidate in Rajya Sabha polls. They were disqualified later for violating the party whip, following which they joined the BJP. They all will now contest bypolls on the BJP tickets.