BJP leader Gaurav Bhatia moves Delhi High Court seeking removal of social media posts over his ‘No Pants’ TV appearance, clarifying, “I was in shorts,” amid online backlash.
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NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Senior Advocate Gaurav Bhatia has approached the Delhi High Court seeking the removal of allegedly defamatory content circulating online.
The controversy arose from Bhatia’s recent appearance on a News18 television show hosted by journalist Amish Devgan. During the show’s introduction, Bhatia was seen wearing a kurta without pants or pyjama, leading to a flurry of social media posts commenting on his attire.
According to Bhatia’s legal team, the incident was entirely accidental. Advocate Raghav Awasthi, representing Bhatia, clarified that he was actually wearing shorts, but a camera angle mistakenly captured the lower half of his body.
The Legal Action
Bhatia’s complaint argues that several social media posts and comments by political figures, news platforms, and journalists constitute a violation of his privacy and are defamatory in nature.
The parties named in the lawsuit include:
- Samajwadi Party media cell
- News platform Newslaundry
- Politicians such as AAP’s Saurabh Bharadwaj and Congress’s Ragini Nayak
- Journalists, including Abhisar Sharma
Bhatia’s legal team has sought the removal of posts that refer to his private parts or are objectionable in nature.
Delhi High Court Observations
While hearing the matter, Justice Amit Bansal observed that individuals in politics must be “thick-skinned”, acknowledging the scrutiny public figures face. However, he emphasized that a clear distinction must be made between satire and defamation.
“While political figures may face criticism, defamatory content that violates privacy cannot be ignored,” the Court noted.
The Court stated it will carefully examine the material and issue orders on Thursday, clarifying:
“Defamatory material referencing Bhatia’s private parts will be injuncted, but satirical or sarcastic content related to the incident will not be restricted.”