Rana to file defamation suit against Sajjad Lone

Srinagar, July 18: Davinder Singh Rana, Political Advisor to Chief Minister, Wednesday threatened to sue Peoples Conference Chairman Sajjad Gani Lone for his alleged statement accusing him of misusing his official position to further his business interests.

In a statement here, Rana expressed his shock and dismay at “the irresponsible and defamatory statement” issued by the Peoples Conference Chairman Sajjad Lone.

“Sajjad has maligned my reputation and tarnished my image by leveling purely false and concocted allegations which are frivolous and baseless in content and as such deserve no cognizance,” Rana said.

He said: “I have always been a strong votary of probity in public life and proud of upholding my honour, dignity and integrity in discharge of my duties in the government.”

“While I am proud of the fact that with the dint of my hard-work I am a successful first generation entrepreneur who has generated nearly 2000 jobs in the state out of which 1000 are in Jammu and 1000 in Kashmir province, I am more proud of the fact that I have never mixed my business with the politics and have never used my politics to promote my business,” he said.

Rana said: “I am fully aware of the reasons of the pangs of Sajjad Lone for the cable industry. But I would leave it to his conscience to introspect and decide.”

He said: “I challenge Sajjad Lone or anybody else to cite or prove even a single instance in the last three and half years that I have called up any government functionary for any of my business interests, even a single instance shall be good enough for me to suffer consequences.”

He said: “I have resigned from all executive positions of my businesses before assuming the office in the government and so have no link whatsoever with the day to day running of my businesses.”

Rana further said: “I want to put on record that Take 1 and JK Media is operating in Kashmir since 2003 and is not something which has cropped up recently as has been wrongly projected by Sajjad Lone”.

Rana said he has already asked his lawyer to move the court of law to file a defamation suit against Sajjad Lone for making “reckless false allegations against my person.”

Source: http://cablequest.org/news/cable-news/item/344-rana-to-file-defamation-suit-against-sajjad-lone.html