Former Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot on Tuesday sent a legal notice to Congress MLA Giriraj Singh Malinga in relation to bribery allegations against him, reported PTI. The notice demanded Re 1 and a written apology in the media within seven days.

Malinga had on Monday claimed that he was offered Rs 35 crore to cross vote for the Bharatiya Janata Party in the Rajya Sabha elections. “I had a talk with Sachinji,” Malinga told the media. “He offered me money to join the BJP, but I refused saying I will not join the saffron party.” Malinga was served the notice for the “false and malicious statements” he made to the media, according to NDTV.

In the legal notice, Pilot said it was surprising that Malinga had stayed silent for seven months following the elections to the Upper House, NDTV reported. He said that Malinga seemed to have “suddenly raked up a bunch of lies” to malign his reputation.

Pilot also wrote that a certain faction within the Congress considers him a rival, and is indulging in these tactics to tarnish his image. “The biggest instance of this being the disqualification notices that have been issued to him [Pilot] that are already a subject matter of proceeding in the High Court of Rajasthan,” the notice read.

Meanwhile, a Rajasthan Cabinet meeting was conducted at Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s residence on Tuesday during which several issues, including the state’s coronavirus situation was discussed, reported The Indian Express.

The Gehlot-led administration in Rajasthan faces the threat of a collapse after Pilot rebelled against the chief minister and took a few of the state’s MLAs, who support him, to Delhi. Gehlot has repeatedly accused Pilot of planning to bring down his government, and for working with the Bharatiya Janata Party in the state to do so.

Pilot was removed as the deputy chief minister of Rajasthan and from his position as the Congress’ state unit chief on July 14 after he did not attend the second round of meetings convened by the Congress to discuss the political crisis in the state.

Disqualification notices were served to Pilot and the rebel leaders after the MLAs defied a whip to attend the two meetings. The Rajasthan High Court on Tuesday reserved its judgement on the plea filed by rebel Congress leader Sachin Pilot and 18 other dissident Congress MLAs against their disqualification notices. However, the court asked the Assembly Speaker to not take a decision on the disqualification notices till the final verdict.

The power struggle between Gehlot and Pilot had been going on for quite some time, but the latest crisis was triggered after the former deputy chief minister was summoned by the Rajasthan Anti-Terror Squad and the Special Operations Group earlier this month.