Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Saturday filed a defamation suit in Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court against Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot for the latter’s allegations made recently in the media.

Gehlot had made the accusation against the Union minister over an alleged Sanjivani Credit Cooperative Society (SCCS) scam case of Jodhpur.

Shekhawat reached the court at 2 pm and presented the claim letter. Coming out from the court, he told the media that the chief minister not only resorted to assassinating his character but also made his late mother an accused due to which he had to file the defamation case under section 500, according to his WhatsApp group release here.

“For the last three years, he (Gehlot) has been making statements against me in the state assembly, giving bytes to the media while walking on the road, and giving speeches in rallies,” he commented.

He further said, “Gehlot’s son was defeated by me in the Lok Sabha polls-2019 from Jodhpur’s. They are avenging the defeat by associating my name with a co-operative society in which neither I nor any of my family members is a primary member, depositor, etc. They have accused me in this case in Jodhpur recently, while in this case I have already clarified the whole situation in front of the media.”

Earlier in the day, reacting to the defamation case, Gehlot welcomed the defamation case. Speaking to the Media, he said, “Now, the scam will come into the limelight. The case will move forward and will reach up to the prime minister.  How come you (PM) keep such a scammer in your cabinet? It is in all the papers that there has been a mess and fund embezzlement in the Sanjeevani Cooperative.”

Gehlot further said with a smiling face, “The poor, who have lost lakhs of rupees in the Sanjivani scam will be benefited. Where has that money gone? Went to Ethiopia? There has been embezzlement. His people are already sitting in jail. Gajendra Singh himself is an accused, his wife, brother-in-law, his father’s name also figured. His mother passed away, his name is there.”

Referring to a Special Operation Group of Police (SOG) investigation in the case, Gehlot said, “Only the ED can confiscate Sanjivani’s property if we had the power/right, we (SOG) have confiscated the property, if we had the right, we would have done it long back and paid the victims.”

Earlier this month, during his visit to Jodhpur, Gehlot opened a Pandora’s Box when he raised the issue of Sanjivini scam in the presence of its subscribers who invested a lot of money in it.