Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit on Tuesday announced his decision to file defamation cases against Delhi Chief Minister Atishi and AAP MP Sanjay Singh. The move comes after the duo accused Dikshit of taking money from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a claim he vehemently denied.

Speaking at a press conference, Dikshit expressed outrage at the allegations, stating, "Five to six days ago, CM Atishi claimed I was receiving a huge amount of money from the BJP. For over a decade, the Aam Aadmi Party has consistently targeted me, my family, and the Congress. I have several questions to ask AAP about their conduct over the last 10-12 years."

Dikshit also criticized AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, recalling past accusations made by the Delhi CM. "Kejriwal used to walk around with 360 pages of supposed evidence against the Sheila Dikshit government. BJP's Vijay Kumar Malhotra once told me that a delegation of BJP leaders met Kejriwal after he became CM and asked for that evidence. All Kejriwal ever had were 360 newspaper clippings, which he called proof," he remarked.

Highlighting the timing of his delayed response, Dikshit explained, "The day Atishi accused me of taking money from the BJP was the same day former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh passed away. Out of respect, I refrained from holding a press conference then."

Dikshit, the son of former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, announced that he would file both criminal and civil defamation cases against Atishi and Sanjay Singh. "I will ask them to pay ?10 crores in damages. ?5 crores will go towards cleaning the Yamuna, and the remaining ?5 crores will be used for pollution control in Delhi," he said, as quoted by ANI.

Dikshit also took a swipe at the AAP's governance, questioning their priorities and accountability. The allegations and counterclaims come amidst heightened political tensions in Delhi, with the Congress and AAP frequently at odds as they battle for influence in the capital.