Nishikant Dubey sues former Finance Secretary Garg for defamation

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey has initiated both civil and criminal defamation proceedings against former Finance Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg. The civil suit, filed in the Delhi High Court, seeks ₹2 crore in damages, while the criminal case has been brought before Delhi's Patiala House Court.

The legal action follows a public dispute involving allegations made by Garg on a podcast and social media. Garg reportedly described Dubey as a “blackmailing kind of person” and alleged that the MP had attempted to exert pressure on him regarding matters involving the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), transfers, and contracts in 2018.

Dubey has denied these claims, asserting they are false and malicious. The tension between the two escalated after Garg questioned the Centre’s reported 7.8% GDP growth for the first quarter, prompting Dubey to revive criticisms of Garg’s previous tenure as a senior bureaucrat by sharing a 2018 letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding Garg’s macroeconomic policy framework.