BJP MP from Jharkhand's Godda, Nishikant Dubey, has announced plans to file a criminal defamation case against former Finance Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg over statements Garg made during a recent podcast — allegations Dubey has flatly rejected as fabricated.

What Garg Said in the Podcast

In the podcast, Garg reportedly claimed that during his tenure as Finance Secretary, Dubey had visited his office and approached him with certain files or matters. Garg allegedly characterised the interaction as lobbying or advocacy on behalf of corporate interests. The remarks triggered an immediate and sharp response from the BJP lawmaker.

Dubey's Rebuttal and Legal Warning

Dubey, speaking on Monday, denied ever visiting the office of any Central government secretary since being elected to Parliament in 2009. He also asserted that he had never written a recommendation letter seeking the transfer or posting of any official.

'The truth is that since being elected to Parliament in 2009, I have never gone to any secretary for such work. If Garg has any evidence of my visiting his office or making any recommendation, he should place it in the public domain,' Dubey said.

He further argued that parliamentary protocol places an MP above a Central government secretary in terms of hierarchy — making the alleged visit, in his view, all the more implausible.

A Feud Rooted in GDP Disagreements

The latest exchange is not an isolated incident. The two have been engaged in an ongoing war of words over India's first-quarter GDP growth rate of 7.8 per cent. Garg had recently questioned the accuracy of those figures and raised concerns about changes made to the methodology used for past GDP calculations. Dubey had sharply criticised the former bureaucrat in response, setting the stage for the current escalation.

Notably, Dubey revealed that his differences with Garg date back to 2018, when he had written to the Prime Minister raising questions about Garg's economic policies and functioning while the latter served as Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs.

Garg's Tenure and Departure

Garg served as Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, from July 2017 to July 2019 and briefly held the position of Finance Secretary between March and June 2019. He was subsequently transferred to the Ministry of Power before opting for voluntary retirement — a departure that itself drew attention at the time.

What Comes Next

Dubey has made clear he intends to pursue a criminal defamation case, though no formal complaint has been filed as of this report. The dispute underscores deepening friction between elected representatives and former senior bureaucrats over economic policy narratives — a tension likely to continue as public debate over GDP methodology intensifies.