GUWAHATI, Sept 14 - Reliance Infrastructure Ltd, Reliance Defence Ltd and Reliance Aerostructure Ltd � belonging to Reliance Group of Companies � have issued a �cautionary cease and desist notice� to Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Ripun Bora urging him to �avoid, cease and desist from making� what the companies termed as �any unverified, speculative, incorrect, false, frivolous, misleading, derogatory and defamatory statements� against them on the issue of the Rafale deal.
The notice was sent on August 21 by Mulla & Mulla and Craigie Blunt & Caroe � who are advocates, solicitors and notaries � on behalf of Reliance Infrastructure Ltd, Reliance Defence Ltd and Reliance Aerostructure Ltd. It was received by Bora today.
The notice alleged that many leaders of the Congress party have been indulging in making �incorrect, false, frivolous, baseless, misleading, derogatory and defamatory statements� in the media against Reliance in relation to the purchase of the 36 Rafale fighter aircraft by India from France.
It is noteworthy that several senior Congress leaders have already been served notice by the companies following the Opposition party�s dragging the name of the firms into the Rafale deal controversy.
�As a cautionary measure, our clients strongly urge you to avoid, cease and desist from making any unverified, speculative, incorrect, false, frivolous, misleading, derogatory and defamatory statements against them on such a sensitive subject relating to national security. At the same time, our clients reserve their right to take recourse to all remedies available to them under the law for protection of their name, brand, reputation and goodwill in case of any scurrilous statements being made against them,� stated the notice.
On being contacted, Bora said he received the notice today. �We will contest it in the court. Though we have been asked to desist, we will not desist,� he said.
Bora added that Congress is speaking about the Rafale deal because it has all �facts and figures and proof� on the issue.
