Chandigarh, Jan 11 (IANS): Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Badal on Thursday filed a defamation suit seeking Rs 1 crore damages from Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for willful defamation as part of an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) conspiracy against the Badal family as well as the party.

The SAD President filed a civil suit in this regard in the court of the Civil Judge in Muktsar through this advocate and also submitted court fee of Rs 2.29 lakh.

The suit claimed that the Chief Minister indulged in a drama on November 1, 2023, by asserting precious water of Punjab was taken by the plaintiff and his family to their farm land in Balasar village of Haryana by constructing a private canal.

It said that Mann made this statement despite knowing the real facts of the case and did so deliberately knowing it would have a cascading effect due to the position he held. The suit said the real facts of the case were that Badal, as well as his SAD, had fought tirelessly to save each and every drop of water even as the Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had taken an adverse stand with respect to river waters in Haryana to gain political mileage.

Badal, in his suit, said Mann was regularly making false, unsubstantiated and scurrilous statements against him. He said the Chief Minister had portrayed him as well as the Badal family as highly corrupt people who had looted Punjab besides calling them anti-Sikh and anti-Punjab.

"All this has been done as part of a pre-planned conspiracy of the Chief Minister in league with his political bosses," Badal added.

Later talking to the media, Badal accused Mann of making a habit of lying and even practising politics of lies.

"Now he will be held to account and will have to appear in court and explain his lies. We will not let him misuse his position as Chief Minister to indulge in slander."