Today, On 2nd September, The Delhi High Court turned down a plea by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Atishi to dismiss a defamation case brought by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Rajiv Babbar. The criminal defamation case also names AAP leaders Sushil Kumar Gupta and Manoj Kumar as defendants. Babbar filed the case in response to alleged defamatory statements made by the AAP leaders.
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday dismissed a plea by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, minister Atishi, and other Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders seeking to quash a criminal defamation case linked to their remarks on the alleged deletion of voters’ names from the electoral rolls in the capital.
Justice Anoop Kumar Mendiratta emphasized,
“While citizens in a democracy have the right to access truthful and accurate information, mud-slinging by political parties cannot be allowed.”
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The Court stated ,
AAP’s allegations against the BJP were defamatory, aimed at discrediting the BJP and securing undue political advantage.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Rajiv Babbar initiated a criminal defamation case against Arvind Kejriwal, Atishi, and fellow Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) members Sushil Kumar Gupta and Manoj Kumar. Babbar informed the court that during a press conference held in December 2018, the AAP leaders accused the BJP of orchestrating the deletion of approximately 30 lakh voters’ names from Delhi’s electoral rolls, specifically targeting Bania, Poorvanchali, and Muslim communities.
According to Babbar, these allegations damaged his party’s reputation by falsely attributing the voter list deletions to the BJP.
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In response, a Magistrate issued summonses to Kejriwal and the other AAP leaders in March 2019. When the AAP leaders appealed the summoning order in the Sessions Court, the judge upheld the decision.
Kejriwal, Atishi, and their colleagues subsequently took the matter to the High Court, which issued notices and stayed the proceedings on February 28, 2022.
The court held that AAP’s statements defamatory, intended to malign the BJP’s reputation for political gain. This decision means that the defamation case, which has been ongoing since summonses were issued in March 2019, will continue to proceed in court.