Threshold high in political defamation: Delhi CM Atishi to court
Threshold high in political defamation: Delhi CM Atishi to court
New Delhi, Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, accused in a defamation case, on Monday informed a court that the threshold in political defamation cases was high as electoral parties were subjects of public discourse.
Senior advocate Ramesh Gupta, representing the CM, made the submission before Special Judge Vishal Gogne while arguing against the summon issued to her by a magisterial court on a BJP leader's complaint.
The senior counsel argued that the complainant, Praveen Shankar Kapoor, was not defamed by her as she made the alleged defamatory statement against the BJP.
“He is not a victim of defamation. The appellant made statement against the BJP. If it is taken to be true, BJP is victim or aggrieved, can file a complaint… A political party may have lakhs of members, but all cannot file defamation complaint. In this case, the threshold is very high," he argued.
The court will hear the arguments of the complainant in the matter on December 16.
On November 22, the special court stayed the proceedings in the case before the magisterial court.
BJP spokesperson Kapoor accused Atishi and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of defaming him through a purported claim that several A MLAs were approached by the saffron party with cash to bring down the state government.
While the magisterial court issued summons to Atishi on May 28, it refused to summon Kejriwal as an accused in the case.
The court on July 23 granted bail to Atishi after she appeared before it in pursuant to the summons.
Atishi was reported to have claimed that 21 A MLAs were contacted by the BJP, which offered ₹25 lakh to each of them, to switch over to the saffron camp.
Accusing Atishi of making false claims about poaching attempts on the A MLAs, Kapoor moved the court with a criminal defamation complaint and argued she had failed to furnish evidence to support her claim.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
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