The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued notice to Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal in a defamation suit filed by Congress parliamentarian Avtar Singh Bhadana against the former Delhi chief minister.
Mr. Bhadana, Lok Sabha member from Faridabad, Haryana, has sought a written apology and Rs.1 crore compensation from Mr. Kejriwal for “tarnishing my reputation in the eyes of my constituents”.
Justice A.K. Pathak sought Mr. Kejriwal’s response and posted the matter for May 6.
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The plea said that Mr. Kejriwal in a public statement January 31 called Mr. Bhadana “one of the most corrupt persons of India”.
The petition also sought a permanent injunction against Mr. Kejriwal restraining him from making any further allegations against the Congress parliamentarian before the Lok Sabha elections this year.
The plea said that Mr. Bhadana has served a legal notice to Mr. Kejriwal, seeking a written apology for the statement but the AAP leader has not apologised.
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“The AAP leader made false and baseless allegations against respected leaders of various political parties, business houses and business institutions,” the plea added.
Mr. Kejriwal, in a press statement January 31, said the AAP had drawn up a list of “dishonest politicians of the country” and would definitely field candidates against them in the parliamentary elections.