Cuttack: Odisha Congress MLA Mohammad Moquim on Friday filed a complaint for criminal defamation in a local court against BJP national spokesman Sambit Patra and sought his prosecution.
Moquim, the legislator of Barabati-Cuttack, had served a legal notice to Patra in December last year threatening to prosecute him if he did not tender a public apology for allegedly tarnishing the public image of all Congress MLAs of the state, including him.
"As the public apology from Sambit Patra did not come, I was left with no other option but to take legal steps to desist him from further defaming my reputation," Moquim said.
He filed the complaint in the court of sub-divisional judicial magistrate in Cuttack through his advocate.
While talking to a section of the media on December 1, Patra reportedly made an accusation against all the nine Congress MLAs of Odisha in connection with the sensational kidnap and murder of a minor girl of Nayagarh district.
(PTI)