The Patna Citizen filed a defamation suit in the Patna Citizen court, accusing the founder of John Suraj Party Prashant Kishore and his daughter, Bihar Rural Construction Department Minister and JD (U) leader Ashok Chaudhary of commenting “baseless and derogatory”.
Kishore recently alleged that Chaudhary paid Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshta Party (Ram Vilas) to secure tickets for his daughter Shambhavi Chaudhary, who won the Samastipur Lok Sabha seat in the 2024 elections.
Ashok Chaudhary said that Kishore “deliberately made me irresponsible comments to humiliate me”. While ideological differences in public life are one thing, personal attacks and public insults are unacceptable, he said. Chaudhary said, “I sent him a legal notice, but his response was unsatisfactory. Today, I have filed a defamation suit in the CJM court.”
“We represent a society that had been denying a voice for a long time. Our parents educated us, and we have been in politics for so long. If we remain silent, we will represent how poor society will represent, understand what it means to fight for their rights? This mentality against backward and Dalit communities, this kind of language, you can say nothing, just nothing.”
He demanded a public forgiveness from Kishore, warning that he would “chase the case to the Supreme Court if necessary”.
“My daughter and I have struggled to reach this position, and millions of people see us. Our society did not even have the right to speak 40-50 years ago. If we do not fight, do you think that an ordinary Dalit will stand against such allegations? This case is to show our society that we should not be afraid and use our constitutional rights against untovenable and wrong claims.
During a press conference in Siwan, Kishore addressed the matter. He said, “I am not a person who gets frightened by defamation cases or FIR … He can file many cases and FIRs against me, they will not be able to scare me,” he said.
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He alleged that “corruption is openly discussed in the villages of Bihar”, it is in the land survey or government jobs, and said “If the defamation suit is invited by telling the truth, each journalist will have to face matters.
A former political strategist Kishore replaced the politician, in October 2024 after a 3,000 km march in Bihar, the Jaan Suraj Party started. His party has announced a plan to contest all the seats in the upcoming 2025 Bihar assembly elections, which is positioning itself as an alternative to the mainstream parties.
At a press conference in Jamui last month, Kishore alleged that Chaudhary paid the LJP (RV) to secure the Samastipur ticket for Shambi, who won the seat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections at the age of 25, who became one of the youngest members of Parliament.
Election (T) LJP Ram Vilas controversy (T) Chirag Paswan Ticket Row (T) SAGAVAL Lok Sabha 2024 (T) Dalit leader Ashok Chaudhary (T) Bihar Caste Politics (T) Political defamation Bharat (T) Indian Express Bihar Padiht (T)
