Nusli Wadia serves defamation notice on Tata Sons

Mumbai, Nov 22: Industrialist Nusli Wadia, an independent director on some Tata Group companies, today served a defamation notice on Tata Sons board asking it to withdraw "false, defamatory and libelous" allegations against him.

Tata Sons told PTI that "the company will respond to the notice appropriately".

Wadia is an independent director on some Tata Group companies which have called EGMs to remove him from their boards for allegedly siding with ousted chairman Cyrus Mistry.

Citing the Tatas' move to remove him from the boards of Indian Hotels, Tata Chemicals, Tata Motors and Tata Steel, as an attempt to "tarnish his personal integrity and corporate image", he asked Tata Sons to desist from the move or else face legal action.

"These allegations are baseless, false, defamatory and libelous, and have been made with the intention of harming my reputation," Wadia said in the notice, dated November 21.

Wadia said the Tatas remarks in the move to oust him from the Tata Steel board as an independent director, has "lowered" his image in front of the "esteemed colleagues on board of Tata Steel, and its public shareholders, who you claim will benefit from my removal".

When contacted the Tata Sons spokesman told PTI that "the company will respond to the notice appropriately".

Asking the Tatas to withdraw the allegations against him immediately, terming them "baseless and false", Wadia said the Tatas seem to have embarked on a "personal vendetta" against him.

Wadia in his defamation notice said the Tatas' attempt has irreparably marred his image and said "the leaking of the notice (for EGM to remove him from the boards) has damaged his reputation with the public at large."

"I demand that you withdraw these allegations forthwith," Wadia said in the eight-page notice served to all the 10 board members of Tata Sons, including Cyrus Mistry.

He also said the allegations made against him are the reaction to the board of meeting of Tata Chemicals on November 10 wherein the "independent directors refused to accept an unsigned statement tabled and read out by Bhaskar Bhat, asking for the removal of chairman Cyrus Mistry."

Tata Sons had moved to remove Wadia, who was a childhood friend of Rata Tata and was appointed by him when he was the group chairman, from the boards of Indian Hotels, Tata Chemicals, Tata Motors and Tata Steel earlier this month, fearing he is out to cause harm to the USD 103 billion group. The group also accused Wadia of trying to take control of some of these companies.

"Despite purportedly being an independent director on the boards of certain Tata group of companies including in Tata Steel, Wadia has been conducting himself as an interested party. In our opinion, Wadia has been conducting himself as an interested party in a manner that is designed to cause harm to the Tata group," a notice by Tata Steel said.

"Wadia has not been conducting himself independently and instead has been galvanising independent directors and acting prejudicially. Wadia's action may put the company in grave jeopardy and impact the overall morale of the workers, employees and management who have joined a Tata company," Tata Steel had added

It had also pointed out that Wadia has been a director for many decades and hence, his "continuance on the board is untenable".

"The principal shareholders have lost confidence in the independence suitability or bonafides of Wadia and seek his removal," the notice had read.

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Sporadic incidents of violence mar final phase of voting in Bengal; EVM tossed into pond

News Network

June 1,2024

Kolkata: Sporadic incidents of violence marred the seventh and final phase of Lok Sabha polls in the nine parliamentary constituencies in West Bengal, as TMC, ISF and BJP workers clashed in various parts of violence-prone Jadavpur and Diamond Harbour constituencies.

Although the poll panel has claimed that voting has been peaceful so far, it said it has received 1,450 complaints until 11 am from different political parties alleging EVM malfunctions and agents being stopped from entering booths.

Around 28.10 per cent of over 1.63 crore voters exercised their franchise in the first two hours of polling to the nine Lok Sabha seats, an Election Commission official said.

Clashes broke out between supporters of the TMC, ISF and the BJP in different pockets of the state as the parties clashed over stopping polling agents from entering booths.

A confrontation erupted in Bhangar within Jadavpur constituency between backers of Trinamool Congress and the Indian Secular Front (ISF), with allegations of crude bombs being hurled from both sides. Police intervention ensued, triggering protests as both factions accused each other.

To quell the situation, security personnel resorted to a lathicharge to disperse the mob, recovering several crude bombs.

Angry voters of Kultuli within Joynagar constituency dumped electronic voting machines (EVMs) and Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VV-PAT) machines into nearby waterbodies alleging electoral misconduct.

"Today morning at 6.40 am Reserve EVMs & papers of Sector Officer near Benimadhavpur FP school, at 129-Kultali AC of 19-Jaynagar (SC) PC has been looted by local mob and 1 CU, 1 BU , 2VVPAT machines have been thrown inside a pond," the office of CEO West Bengal posted on X.

"Sector Police was a little behind. FIR has been lodged by the Sector Officer and necessary action has been initiated. The poll process in all six booths under the Sector is running uninterrupted. Fresh EVM and papers have been provided to the Sector Officer," it further said.

Senior BJP leader and Bengal co-incharge Amit Malviya posted on X, "Democracy is up in flames in West Bengal. Bombs have been hurled in Jadavpur's Bhangar, and irate villagers in Joynagar's Kultali have thrown an EVM and VVPAT machine in a pond because TMC goons won't let them vote."

"But the worse affected is Diamond Harbour, where Mamata Banerjee's nephew and heir apparent is contesting from. BJP workers are being intimidated, not allowed to sit in the booths, their polling documents destroyed. WB Police is acting like Abhishek Banerjee's henchmen. Even the Muslims have not been spared because a large number of them are voting for CPI(M) candidate Pratikur Rahman. TMC's 'secularism' dies the moment Muslims start voting against it," he posted on X.

Following this, Kolkata Police claimed that the incident happened in the morning before the poll process began.

"This incident happened in the morning around 6 am much before the polling process in Bengal. Police and CAPF immediately intervened and have taken steps against miscreants. Legal action initiated. Polling in Bhangar started without any interruption and is going on peacefully," Kolkata Police posted on X.

TMC supporters have accused the ISF of orchestrating the violence to intimidate voters. Prompt action from local law enforcement led to lathicharges and the arrest of suspects in Polerhat area of Bhangar.

Another incident occurred where the vehicle of an ISF worker was vandalised in Baghajatin area. Accusations have been levelled against Trinamool Congress supporters for the alleged incident.

Diamond Harbour, where TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee is seeking re-election, witnessed clashes between TMC and BJP supporters. BJP candidate Abhijit Das accused the ruling party of malpractices, which the TMC denied. As Das approached a polling booth, TMC activists staged protests and shouted "Go back" slogans. In response, Das got out of his car and shouted counter slogans.

Similarly, CPI(M) candidate Patikur Rehman faced "go back" slogans from TMC workers when he attempted to visit a booth in the Canning area.

In Diamond Harbour's Satganchia, BJP workers were allegedly beaten up by TMC over allegations of intimidation of voters. In Kultuli area, two BJP activists were injured during clashes with TMC workers.

In Jadavpur area's Ganguly Bagan, CPI(M) workers were allegedly beaten by the TMC activists and their camp offices were ransacked. The TMC, however, denied the allegations and accused the Left party of intimidating the voters.

In Baranagar assembly seat, where a by-poll is on, CPI (M) candidate Tanmay Bhattacharya was allegedly physically assaulted when he was standing outside a booth as TMC workers accused him of trying to influence the voters.

The state Congress unit wrote to CEO Aariz Aftab requesting him to take stern action against alleged irregularities and rigging that are taking place in various pockets.

Basirhat SP Hossain Mehedi Rahaman said three persons were injured during the clash between TMC and BJP supporters at Bayramari in Sandeshkhali, adding that one person was arrested in this connection.

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