Denying reported allegations about her links with Sharma at a press conference here, she said ``neither do I know him nor have I ever met him. All these allegations are blatant lies and baseless.''

Swaraj alleged that ``in a sinister design, the Congress changed its election strategy after I became chief minister and tried to defame me through fabricated stories as it realised that the BJP will benefit from my clean image.''

She said before she became the chief minister the Congress target was BJP as a party but later it changed its strategy resorting to a smear campaign which was initiated through allegations by a senior income-tax officer.

Swaraj also made an offer to the Press Club of India and a leading English daily to appoint a panel ofsenior journalists for investigating into the allegations levelled against her.

Asked whether she would file defamation suits in the matter, she said ``legal options are also open. My lawyers are looking into those aspects.''

The chief minister also appealed to Congress president Sonia Gandhi to fight the coming elections on issues and ideas based on ``clean political strategies.''

Making a scathing attack against the Congress, Swaraj claimed that the party has stooped low in its sinister campaign which may vitiate the political atmosphere in capital, besides encouraging ``yellow journalism.''

She claimed that having failed to find anything damaging against her relating to her tenure as minister in Haryana and at the Centre, the Congress fabricated her alleged links with Sharma.

``I hope the Congress leaders and the press will accept my appeal and put an end to false allegations,'' she said.

Swaraj also blamed the Congress for the recent rumours of salt crisis in the capital and claimed that theauthorities have proof of the party's involvement in spreading rumours which led to panic buying on Sunday.

``Though the confidence of the people was shaken for a while due to rumours, the government has successfully restored their faith in us,'' she said.

Asked if Congress was emerging stronger through rumours, she said ``Congress is not powerful. We have tackled the situation within 24 hours through crisis management."

To a query about BJP's seat adjustment with Akali Dal for Delhi elections, Swaraj said three seats for Akali candidates have already been cleared and a decision on another constituency is likely to be taken very soon.

About tie-up with Haryana Lok Dal, she said it has been left to the prime minister.

Asked about her constituency, Swaraj said she would contest from a seat in South Delhi.