Kirron Kher, BJP trying to defame me: Bansal

Pawan Kumar Bansal, the Congress candidate from Chandigarh Lok Sabha seat and former railway minister Pawan Kumar Bansal Tuesday accused his BJP rival Kirron Kher of attempting to defame him.

Bansal vent his ire against the BJP and its sitting MP in Chandigarh after the Enforcement Directorate Tuesday attached Rs 89.68 lakh cash in a money laundering case involving his nephew.

"Dragging me mischievously in a case of which I am a prosecution witness, proves that the BJP has already smelled defeat in Chandigarh. Hence, Kirron Kher and her party are now trying all desperate means to defame me," he told reporters here.

The ED, in a statement, said it has issued a provisional order under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to freeze the "bribe" money, which according to it was "proceeds of crime".

Bansal said, "Six years back, the case filed against me by CBI when I was the railway minister was blown out of proportion. For over eight hours I was interrogated by the CBI but nothing was found against me. On the contrary, I was made the prosecution witness in that case completely acquitting me of all the charges."