J&K BJP president Ravinder Raina serves legal notice to ex-party leader Surinder Choudhary [Here's Why]

Amid ongoing allegations and counter-allegations between Jammu and Kashmir BJP president Ravinder Raina and former Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) Surinder Choudhary took an interesting twist on Monday when the latter served a legal notice to the former.

Ravinder Raina served a legal notice to Surinder Choudhary through his advocate Adv. Navyug Sethi and warned to file a defamation suit worth Rs 5 crore.

Observing that all allegations leveled by Surinder Choudhary against Ravinder Raina were false and fabricated, the former MLC was asked to tender an unconditional apology.

"You are, therefore, called upon by way of this notice to immediately issue an unconditional and unqualified apology for your acts and omissions, falling which my client shall be constrained to invoke his rights to claim damages to the tune of Rs. 5 Crores and I have instructions to proceed, in the competent court of law against you at your pure risk, responsibility, and costs. This is however in addition to the remedies under criminal law available to my client", the notice reads.

Former MLC Surinder Choudhary joined the National Conference here on Tuesday, ending over a year-long association with the BJP.

Choudhary charges Raina with being involved in projecting his family members

While announcing his decision to quit BJP through a tweet Choudhary on July 11 has accused the Jammu and Kashmir BJP chief of encouraging familism and corruption. Choudhary had lost to Raina in the Nowshera Assembly constituency of Rajouri district in the 2014 assembly polls.

"Goodbye BJP….Ravinder Raina enjoys your Parivharbad and corruption," Choudhary wrote on Twitter.

While addressing media persons, Choudhary vowed to expose corrupt practices by the family members of Ravinder Raina. "Just wait for a couple of days, and I will expose the self-proclaimed honest leader Ravinder Raina, whose family members have been brazenly indulged in corrupt practices", he alleged.

Choudhary is considered a powerful leader with considerable clout. He lost the 2014 election from the Nowshera seat by a very thin margin to BJP chief Ravinder Raina.

Raina said, "I have served a legal notice on Choudhary through my lawyer…for leveling baseless allegations against me with the sole aim to defame my reputation within the party and the masses. He should apologize within one week or prepare for legal action."

"You may choose any political party that suits your ambition, yet the choice of words in the tweet on July 11 is purely inappropriate, rather defamatory to my clients and the BJP, despite you knowing well that my client was not involved in any of the alleged acts," the legal notice to Choudhary read.
Surinder Choudhary has maintained a guarded silence over the legal notice served to him. His supporters asserted that their leader would react at an appropriate time.