March 26 (Reuters) - Unilever ( UL ) and its recently

spun off Magnum ice cream unit were sued for

defamation on Thursday by Anuradha Mittal, who was ousted in

December as chair of Ben & Jerry's ( UL ) independent board.

In a complaint filed in the federal court in Oakland,

California, Mittal accused both defendants of campaigning to

"vilify, denigrate and intimidate her" after being rankled by

her public support for Palestinian rights and a ceasefire in

Gaza.