In the ongoing legal battle between two prominent political figures, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member Tejinder Pal Singh Bagga has submitted before the Delhi High Court that a tweet posted by Subramanian Swamy regarding his past was “categorically false” and a direct attack on his integrity.
The submission was made in a reply filed before Justice Ravinder Dudeja, who is currently presiding over a petition filed by Swamy. The veteran politician had moved the High Court to challenge summons issued to him by a magisterial court in connection with a defamation complaint lodged by Bagga.
The dispute traces back to September 2021, when Swamy allegedly posted a tweet claiming that prior to joining the BJP, Bagga had been “jailed many times for petty crimes” by the New Delhi Mandir Marg police station.
In his reply to the High Court, Bagga vehemently denied these allegations, asserting that the Mandir Marg police station had never arrested or jailed him. He contended that the tweet alleging “criminal antecedents” was not only baseless but also significantly damaged his reputation.
Highlighting the repercussions of the social media post, Bagga’s reply revealed that the allegations led to him being summoned by senior BJP leaders to explain the situation. The reply emphasized that reputation is a tangible asset in public life.
“Reputation is not measured by political appointments but by esteem in the eyes of right-thinking members of society,” Bagga stated in his submission.
Bagga also countered Swamy’s defense that the tweet was based on information gathered from “Delhi journalists.” Dismissing this claim, the reply argued that Swamy “cannot be allowed to abuse his freedom of speech by making false and defamatory statements with impunity.”
The reply further noted that Swamy had a “history of making controversial statements on Twitter.”
Justice Ravinder Dudeja has granted time to Subramanian Swamy’s counsel to file a rejoinder to Bagga’s reply. The matter has been listed for further proceedings on April 6.
