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AIUDF plans to sue voluntary group LRO

By STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, Dec 6 - Accusing the Legal Rights Observatory (LRO) of trying to �malign and tarnish� the image of its party president Badruddin Ajmal, the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) today said that it will file a defamation case against the voluntary group.

LRO had on Thursday alleged that the Ajmal Foundation, which is headed by AIUDF president and Lok Sabha member Badruddin Ajmal, receives funds from foreign NGOs having links with terror groups. LRO had also claimed that the Ajmal Foundation received Rs 69.55 crore, out of which only Rs 2.5 crore was spent on education.

�AIUDF has no connection with the Ajmal Foundation. But our party president has been targeted. An attempt is being made to create an impression that Badruddin Ajmal is involved in money laundering. We also object to the attempt at politicization of the matter... We will not tolerate this. Our party will file defamation case against LRO for tarnishing the image of our president,� AIUDF general secretary Aminul Islam said during a press conference.

He said the party is consulting lawyers in this regard and both criminal and civil defamation suits will be filed against the LRO.

Islam also accused senior BJP leaders, including Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, of politicizing the matter and making �unfounded� allegations in public against the AIUDF chief.

Asked if the party will also file defamation case against Sarma, he said, �Our legal team is looking at the public comments and tweets made by Sarma. We will look at all the angles before taking a final decision in consultation with our lawyers.�

Islam alleged that LRO is affiliated with the RSS and the entire controversy has been created for political reasons. �This has been done to target Ajmal in the run-up to the Assembly elections as the AIUDF and Congress are jointly working for formation of an opposition grand alliance for the 2021 polls,� he said.

�The BJP will be in trouble if the grand alliance comes into existence. That is why the RSS-affiliated NGO has made these allegations with an intention to malign and tarnish the image of our leader in front of the public,� the AIUDF general secretary said.

He added that the Ajmal Foundation has been working in the field of education, healthcare and other sectors for many years.

�Ajmal himself said yesterday that he has nothing to hide and he welcomes an inquiry by the Ministry of Home Affairs,� Islam said.

He alleged that LRO had earlier been engaged in similar activities against senior journalist and Rajya Sabha member Ajit Bhuyan and many other journalists. �If anybody opposes the agenda of the BJP, then such allegations are made against such individuals,� he said.

�In fact, there is an attempt to bring sedition charges against Ajmal by using the recent allegations... This is all part of the Hindutva agenda of the BJP government. Anybody opposing the government�s agenda becomes the target... As soon as they saw Ajmal and State Congress president Ripun Bora sharing a stage this was done,� Islam said.

Speaking on the occasion, AIUDF general secretary Champak Kalita said, �This is an attempt at �political ambush� by Himanta Biswa Sarma. The first such ambush was attempted when a controversy was created regarding the alleged raising of pro-Pakistan slogans at the Silchar airport. Now is the second attempt. We will resist all such attacks.�

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