Sibal, Ananth Kumar challenge Kejriwal's 'corrupt' list

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's list of "corrupt" politicians Saturday evoked sharp reactions, with BJP leader Ananth Kumar sending him a legal notice and Congress leader Kapil Sibal challenging him to prove his allegations.

Law Minister Sibal said Kejriwal should prove his allegations or resign.

He said he was giving Kejriwal two days to give proof of the alleged corruption. Otherwise, the chief minister should resign from his position.

He said if Kejriwal is able to prove that Sibal was convicted by a court in a corruption case, he would resign as a union minister and also quit politics.

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Ananth Kumar Saturday sent a legal notice to Kejriwal saying his allegations were "defamatory, motivated, baseless, malicious".

The notice said the Aam Aadmi Party leader failed to provide any evidence to support his allegations.

It asked Kejriwal to publish a suitable statement within three days withdrawing all allegations and tender an apology.

If Kejriwal did not do so, civil and criminal proceedings would be initiated against him, Ananth Kumar's notice said.

Former BJP president Nitin Gadkari had also sent a legal notice to Kejriwal Friday, after the chief minister Kejriwal at a AAP meeting Friday named over 20 top politicians including Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, Gadkari, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati and Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar as "corrupt".

Shipping Minister G.K. Vasan also said he would file a defamation suit against Kejriwal if he fails to take back his statement and issue an unconditional apology.

Kejriwal also named other prominent leaders, including cabinet ministers Sushilkumar Shinde, P. Chidambaram, Salman Khurshid, M. Veerappa Moily, Kamal Nath, Sriprakash Jaiswal, Praful Patel, Farooq Abdullah, Congress MP Suresh Kalmadi, Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, DMK's Kanimozhi, and BJP's B.S. Yeddyurappa and Anurag Thakur.

AAP leader Yogendra Yadav Saturday said the names of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi were added to the list of "corrupt leaders" after taking feedback from volunteers and party workers.