The Supreme Court on Tuesday allotted an additional six weeks to a BJP leader from Delhi to file a response concerning the defamation case against Delhi Chief Minister Atishi and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal. The case stems from their alleged remarks about the deletion of voters’ names, which led to the filing of the defamation suit by BJP’s Rajiv Babbar.
Justices Hrishikesh Roy and S V N Bhatti presided over the hearing and decided to adjourn after Babbar’s counsel requested more time to prepare their response. This legal confrontation traces back to comments made by Atishi and Kejriwal, which Babbar claims were defamatory and damaged the reputation of the BJP, leading him to file the case not just in his personal capacity but as an authorized representative of the party.
The apex court had previously intervened on September 30 last year, issuing a notice to Babbar and putting a hold on the proceedings at the trial court level. The stay remains in effect, pending the resolution of this preliminary challenge at the Supreme Court.
