Subhash Chandra Garg rejects Nishikant Dubey defamation notice, says allegations were truthful
Subhash Chandra Garg rejects Nishikant Dubey’s defamation notice, saying his remarks were truthful and covered by BNS exceptions. (Image Sarma on X)
By AMIT KUMAR
Former Finance Secretary says his remarks about the BJP MP were based on a truthful account of events from 2018.
New Delhi, September 27, 2026 — Former Finance Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg has rejected BJP MP Nishikant Dubey’s defamation notice, asserting that his remarks about the parliamentarian were based on what he described as a truthful account of events from 2018.
In his reply dated September 26, Garg said the notice was “completely unwarranted and unjustified” and that the demands made in it should be rejected.
The dispute relates to remarks Garg made during a podcast with Shalini Kapoor Tiwari concerning Dubey’s alleged interaction with him while Garg was serving in the Finance Ministry and was a member of the LIC board.
Garg said he had recounted an incident in which, according to him, Dubey sought to use his office to approach the LIC chairman regarding a transfer or procurement-related matter. Garg said he declined to intervene and subsequently described Dubey as having a “bullying and blackmailing” nature.
Garg further maintained that the episode was not merely a matter of one person’s word against another. He wrote: “I reaffirm that what I said is one hundred percent true.” He has posted his reply to Dubey’s defamation notice on his blog.
Garg also said Dubey had attempted to “sidetrack the main point” by focusing on whether he had written a letter concerning the alleged transfer.
The former Finance Secretary also referred to an episode involving the Parliamentary Standing Committee and the Ayushman Bharat scheme. He said his account of his evidence before the committee was “completely factual” and alleged that Dubey subsequently went to the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister and complained about his statement.
Garg also rejected Dubey’s earlier social-media description of his transfer from the Finance Ministry as a removal “raton rat” because of ignorance. He said his transfer to the Ministry of Power was consensual and that he subsequently chose voluntary retirement. “I was not removed and not ‘raton rat’,” Garg wrote.
On the defamation issue, Garg argued that his account was truthful and fell within the exceptions to defamation under Section 356 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. He wrote: “Therefore, to conclude, my opinion expressed with respect to Nishikant Dubey is perfectly legitimate, truthful and covered by exceptions to Defamation in Section 356 of the BNS.”
Garg concluded that he would not withdraw his statements or apologise, saying the notice deserved to be dismissed.
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