Resigned due to busyness related to constituency, will file defamation case over "misleading" news: Lalan Singh

Patna (Bihar) [India], December 30 (ANI): Janata Dal (United) leader Rajiv Ranjan Singh (Lalan Singh), who on Friday resigned as party chief, has termed as "untrue and misleading" reports in a section of media about his having to leave the post due to an alleged effort to make RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav Chief Minister of Bihar and said he had voluntarily stepped down due to busyness related to work concerning his constituency.
In a statement, the JD-U leader said that such reports were damaging to his reputation.
Lalan Singh resigned as party's chief on Friday at a party meeting and Nitish Kumar took the responsibility in his hands.
"The news was published prominently in a leading newspaper and some news channels showed that I had to resign in an attempt to make Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav the Chief Minister. A news item has also been published that on December 20, a meeting of a dozen MLAs was held in the office of a minister in which I was also present. The report has talked about a rift in JD-U. This news is completely misleading, untrue and tarnishes my image," the statement said.
"I was in Delhi with the Chief Minister on December 20 and took part in a meeting with all the MPs at the CM's Delhi residence in the evening," it added.
The MP alleged that the news was published to "tarnish image" and raised questions about his "37-year-old ties with Nitish Kumarji".
"The fact is that due to busyness in my parliamentary constituency, I left the post of my own accord with the consent of the Chief Minister and Nitish Kumarji took over this responsibility. Those who write and publish such misleading news will fall flat. Janata Dal (U) is united under the leadership of the party's all-acceptable leader Nitish Kumar," he said.
The JD (U) leader said he would send legal notice over the "misleading news" and also file a defamation case. (ANI)