Ranchi: Koderma MP Ravindra Rai , who once had defected from BJP along with former chief minister Babu Lal Marandi to form Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) ( JVM-P ), came down heavily on his former colleague on Saturday for levelling false charges at the saffron party.Rai, while responding to the letter circulated by Marandi, which contains details of BJPs dealing for poaching six JVM-P MLAs gave a deadline of one week to Marandi. “He should prove the authenticity of the letter within a week failing which he should seek a public apology, otherwise BJP will drag him to the court,” Rai said.While addressing the media at the BJP state headquarters, Rai said, “Marandi was in keeping in touch with BJP national president Amit Shah for merger of JVM-P with the BJP soon after the 2014 assembly election results were out. He should clarify why he backed out when most of his party MLAs followed the understanding that was reached in larger interest of the state.”Rai added that he has decided to use the letter which was issued to prolong the ongoing defection case against the six MLAs pending in speakers court. “We will urge the speaker to put his verdict on hold till the time the authenticity of the letter is verified,” he said, while trying to assert that when such a letter has been issued that maligns senior BJP members. “It should first be disposed before the defection case is further dealt,” he added.Bokaro MLA Biranchi Narayan who has also been named in the letter to have worked as a facilitator for paying Rs 11 crore to the defecting JVM P MLAs has threatened to file a defamation suit worth Rs 20 crore against the JVM-P president. “By circulating forged letter he is trying to malign the image of BJP leaders which is unacceptable,” he said.

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