A Congress MP from Assam has served a legal notice to one of the party’s MLAs for allegedly making defamatory and derogatory remarks against him in a social media post.

The development has come as an embarrassment for the Congress ahead of the three-phase Assembly elections in March-April.

Abdul Khaleque, the MP from Barpeta, has demanded an “unconditional apology in the form of an affidavit sworn and attested before an executive magistrate” from Sherman Ali Ahmed, who represents Congress from the Baghbar Assembly constituency.

The MP’s counsel, Syed Burhanur Rahman has also threatened to initiate “criminal and civil actions” if Mr. Ahmed does not tender an apology and delete the social media post immediately.

The MLA had accused Mr. Khaleque of favouring a local contractor named Gunajit Nath to secure a Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) phase III contract for a 7-km road in Barpeta district.

The MLA alleged that the contractor had received the contract for the same road in 2008 under another project but the quality of construction made the local people suffer for 12 years. He also accused the MP of using his influence to let the same contractor get the Rs. 8-crore project.

Mr. Khaleque said the MLA’s allegations were “nothing but cooked up stories without any basis and proof, made only to jeopardise” his image and reputation.