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The Delhi High Court on Thursday delivered a significant ruling in the defamation case filed against Congress leader Shashi Tharoor. The court rejected Tharoor's plea to quash the case, which stemmed from his controversial remarks comparing Prime Minister Narendra Modi to a 'scorpion sitting on a Shivling' at the Bangalore Literature Festival in 2018. This decision marks a crucial development in the ongoing legal battle, with the trial court proceedings now set to resume.
The case originated in 2018 when Delhi BJP leader Rajeev Babbar filed a criminal defamation complaint against Tharoor, alleging that the Congress leader's remarks were hurtful to his religious sentiments and defamatory towards BJP workers and supporters. Tharoor, however, maintained that his comments were a metaphor and were not intended to be taken literally. He sought to quash the complaint, which was filed under Sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code, related to defamation.
The Delhi High Court had previously stayed the trial court proceedings in 2020 while hearing Tharoor's plea. However, the court lifted this stay on Thursday, instructing the parties to appear before the trial court on September 10. This development signifies a crucial turning point in the case, as the trial court will now proceed with the proceedings against Tharoor. The court's decision to lift the stay suggests that it found no grounds to quash the proceedings at this stage and that the matter should be heard in the trial court.
Source: Delhi HC refuses to quash defamation case against Shashi Tharoor over "scorpion" remark on PM Modi