Today(on 14th June),The Delhi High Court reserved its decision on journalist Rajat Sharma’s plea against Congress leaders accusing him of using foul language on live TV. Sharma seeks interim relief and defamation damages from Ragini Nayak, Jairam Ramesh, and Pawan Khera.
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DELHI: Today(on 14th June), The Delhi High Court reserved its order in a plea filed by prominent journalist Rajat Sharma against Congress party leaders. Sharma’s plea seeks to restrain these leaders from making allegations that he used foul language on live television.
Justice Neena Bansal Krishna, presiding over the case, reserved the order in response to Sharma’s request for interim relief. The court’s decision is eagerly awaited as it could set a precedent for defamation cases involving media personalities and political figures.
Rajat Sharma, known for his incisive interviews and media presence, has sought damages for defamation. The plea specifically targets Congress leaders Ragini Nayak, Jairam Ramesh, and Pawan Khera. These leaders had accused Sharma of using abusive language towards Nayak during a live TV broadcast.
Senior Advocate Maninder Singh, representing Sharma, provided a detailed account of the events. He argued that the TV discussion in question took place on June 4. However, the Congress leaders began tweeting about it on June 10, introducing expletives that were never actually used during the broadcast.
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Singh emphasized-
“I am not affiliated with any political party. I am simply performing my professional duties. These accusations are completely fabricated and baseless. This situation urgently calls for their immediate removal. As long as they remain on social media, these allegations will be perpetuated, subjecting me to continued abuse.”
The controversy began when several social media handles posted a video clip from a discussion on India TV, a news channel owned by Sharma. The clip, allegedly taken on the day of the Lok Sabha election results, was used to claim that Sharma had used foul language against Congress spokesperson Ragini Nayak. This sparked a heated debate on social media, with users polarized in their opinions.
The legal battle initiated by Sharma is seen as an effort to clear his name and maintain his professional reputation. The allegations have had a significant impact on his public image, especially given the influential roles played by the accused Congress leaders.
The reserved order by Justice Neena Bansal Krishna will be closely monitored by both legal experts and the media industry. It highlights the ongoing tensions between the press and political entities in India, and the potential repercussions of defamatory statements in the digital age.
India TV anchor Rohit Sharma has initiated legal proceedings against Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate for allegedly spreading falsehoods and defamatory content about him. This development came after a video was posted on social media, leading to a series of accusations and counter-accusations.
On June 10, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate posted a video on social media platform X, claiming that Sharma had used foul language against her during a broadcast. Shrinate subsequently filed a police complaint against Sharma, alleging misconduct.
Responding to these allegations, Sharma took to the media on June 11, asserting that the Congress party’s media cell was orchestrating a false campaign against him.
He stated-
“The Congress party’s media cell orchestrated a false campaign alleging that I used foul language. This is a deliberate conspiracy.”
Sharma further claimed that India TV had issued a warning to the Congress communication department, cautioning them that continuing to spread falsehoods would lead to defamation charges.
“India TV issued a warning to the Congress communication department, cautioning that continued dissemination of falsehoods would constitute defamation.”
-he explained.
Expressing his frustration, Sharma added-
“The Congress spokesperson was deliberately sent with the intention to provoke me.”
He emphasized that despite the warning, the Congress media cell persisted with their allegations, prompting him to take legal action.
“Despite the warning, the Congress media cell persisted in making allegations against me, prompting me to take legal action.”
– Sharma said.
In support of Sharma’s stance, his counsel issued a statement on India TV’s official X handle, directly addressing Shrinate, as well as Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh and Pawan Khera.
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The statement read:
“We have observed your social media posts accusing Mr. Sharma of using abusive language on air. These allegations are entirely false, lacking any basis or foundation. They are malicious, defamatory, and clearly amount to spreading fake news. Your actions have crossed all bounds of public decency by falsely maligning a person of high reputation. We are consulting legal experts for further action on this matter.”
