Senior BJP leader Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday filed a criminal defamation case in a court here against former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for allegedly bringing him into disrepute by including his name in the list of “India’s most corrupt” politicians, and said the Aam Aadmi Party chief was in “the habit of making defamatory statements without any basis”.
Mr. Gadkari reached the Patiala House court along with many followers who raised slogans outside the premises. He was accompanied by Delhi BJP president Vijay Goel and former unit chief Vijender Gupta.
The complaint was filed by counsel Ajay Burman before Metropolitan Magistrate Gomati Manocha who recorded Mr. Gadkari’s statement and the testimony of two witnesses — advocates Neeraj and S.N. Parashar — who seconded the BJP leader’s complaint against Mr. Kejriwal.
After recording Mr. Gadkari’s statement, the court fixed the matter for February 22 to hear arguments on the maintainability of the complaint and to see if Mr. Kejriwal can be summoned as an accused. Mr. Gadkari in his complaint said Mr. Kejriwal should be summoned, prosecuted and punished under Section 500 IPC (for defamation) for terming him one of the most corrupt politicians at a press conference on January 31.
