Legal dispute between MP Nishikant Dubey and Subhash Garg

A legal dispute has emerged between Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament Nishikant Dubey and former Finance Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg. The conflict began after Garg made allegations during a podcast, implying that certain MPs had approached him to lobby or broker matters for private companies. Dubey denied these claims, challenging Garg to provide evidence and noting that protocol places an MP above a secretary.

The situation escalated into formal legal action. Dubey initiated both civil and criminal defamation proceedings. The civil suit, filed in the Delhi High Court, seeks ₹2 crore in damages, while the criminal case was brought before Patiala House Court.

Additional tensions arose from Garg’s public questioning of India’s 7.8 percent GDP growth rate. In response, Dubey criticized Garg’s previous tenure as a senior bureaucrat by referencing a 2018 letter sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding Garg’s macroeconomic policy framework. Garg had previously described Dubey as a “blackmailing kind of person,” alleging the MP attempted to exert pressure regarding Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) matters, transfers, and contracts in 2018.