Lagatar24 Desk
Godda MP Nishikant Dubey has announced plans to file a defamation suit against former Union Finance Secretary Subhash Garg, following a public spat between the two over economic policy remarks and allegations of lobbying.
Row Erupts Over GDP Remarks
The dispute surfaced after Garg, who served as Finance Secretary from March to June 2019 and as Secretary of Economic Affairs from July 2017 to July 2019 before being transferred to the Ministry of Power (after which he took voluntary retirement), recently questioned the government’s 7.8 percent GDP growth figure. Reacting sharply, Dubey called him “deranged” and claimed Garg’s lack of understanding was the very reason the government had removed him from the post of Finance Secretary.
Garg Alleges Lobbying, Dubey Hits Back with Legal Threat
In a recent podcast appearance, Garg had levelled several allegations against Dubey, describing him as offering an “insider perspective.” Garg claimed that during his tenure as Finance Secretary, Dubey had approached him with certain files or matters that he perceived as lobbying on behalf of companies, suggesting that some MPs work in the interest of large corporations and route such matters through officials. Responding on X, Dubey announced he would take legal action against Garg, asserting that he has been a Member of Parliament since 2009 and has never held a ministry post, noting that under protocol, an MP ranks above a ministry secretary. This is not the first clash between the two — in 2018, Dubey had written to the Prime Minister criticising Garg’s economic policies.
