Shiv Sena slaps Rs 50 crore defamation suit on Milind Deora

Milind Deora

While he is already facing a police complaint filed by the Election Commission (EC), Congress candidate Milind Deora will now battle a Rs 50 crore defamation suit too. After he alleged Shiv Sena had hurt the religious sentiments of the Jain community by 'cooking meat' outside a Jain temple during Paryushan, the party has filed the defamation suit in the metropolitan magistrate court and complained to the cyber crime cell and the city collector. EC's complaint is against the same statement made by Deora.

When he was campaigning in the Zaveri Bazaar area on April 4, Deora had appealed to the Jain community to not vote for Sena since the party had hurt their religious sentiments by claiming Sena workers had cooking meat outside Jain temples during Paryushan. The act was, in fact, committed by the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).

First-time Voters Share Their Thoughts After Casting Their Vote for Lok Sabha Elections 2019

Sena worker Suraj Chavan filed the affidavit on April 18, refuting the allegations made by Deora and claiming Deora had harmed Sena's reputation. He also stated Deora made the statement despite knowing MNS was behind the act.

The Election Commission observed Deora's statement as a violation of the model code of conduct and filed a complaint with the LT Marg police station. Apart from expecting action being against Deora in that case, Chavan in his affidavit has also demanded a compensation of Rs 50 crore. "We are very serious about this petition and we will also demand his disqualification as a candidate. Our case is based on strong grounds and we are confident of winning the case against Deora," said Dharmendra Mishra, the advocate representing Sena. Deora could not be reached for comment.

Election 2019: How to cast vote without voter ID

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates