Ready to face defamation case from Virbhadra Singh: Jaitley

Reiterating his allegations of corruption against Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, BJP leader Arun Jaitley Tuesday said he had all evidence and was ready to face a defamation suit.

"Virbhadra Singh said he would consider filing a defamation action against me. He is certainly entitled to do so," Jaitley said in a statement.

Alleging it was an "open and shut case of corruption" against Virbhadra Singh over payments from a power company's promoter, Jaitley has demanded a probe and action from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the Congress.

At a press conference Monday, Jaitley alleged Virbhadra Singh accepted money to the tune of Rs.1.5 crore and Rs.2.4 crore, through cheques in his and his parliamentarian wife Pratibha Singh's name, from Venture Energy and Technology Pvt. Ltd.

"I would request the Congress party and in particular its leaders, Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, to examine this evidence and make a public declaration why they feel Virbhadra Singh is still innocent," Jaitley said.

Responding to the charges, Virbhadra Singh said Monday: "It is an attempt to tarnish my image. I will take action at an appropriate time as the allegations are highly defamatory."