‘Why so touchy’: SC to BJP leader while extending stay on defamation proceedings against Shahsi Tharoor over scorpion remark against PM
The apex court had earlier on September 10 last year stayed the proceedings against Tharoor at the trial court. It had stayed the direction of the Delhi High Court refusing to quash the defamation proceedings against Tharoor and directing him to appear before the trial court on September 10 last year.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday (August 1) asked Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Rajiv Babbar, who has filed a defamation case against Congress leader Shashi Tharoor over his alleged "scorpion on Shivling” remarks targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, "why so touchy about all this” and urged him to close the defamation case against Tharoor.
"Why do you want to be so touchy about all this? Let us close all this,” a bench comprising Justice MM Sundresh and N Kotiswar Singh told the counsel representing BJP leader Rajiv Babbar while extending the stay on trial court proceedings against Tharoor in the defamation case.
The bench posted the matter for further hearing on September 15 after the counsel representing Tharoor requested for adjournment.
The apex court had earlier on September 10 last year stayed the proceedings against Tharoor at the trial court. It had stayed the direction of the Delhi High Court refusing to quash the defamation proceedings against Tharoor and directing him to appear before the trial court on September 10 last year.
Tharoor moved the apex court against the High Court order seeking quashing of the trial court order dated April 27, 2019 summoning him as an accused in the criminal defamation complaint and also the quashing of the complaint.
The High Court refused to quash defamation proceedings against Tharoor, saying that his alleged "scorpion on Shivling" remarks targeting Prime Minister Modi not only defamed Prime Minister Modi but also the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and also obliquely hurt the Hindu sentiments.
Tharoor made the alleged "scorpion on Shivling” remarks targetting Prime Minister Modi at the Bangalore Literature Festival in November 2018. Babbar, in his complaint, has said that the imputation have been made defaming Prime Minister Modi, hurting the sentiments of crores of devotees of Lord Shiva, both in India as well as outside the country outraging their religious beliefs, apart from lowering down the credit and image of the complainant (Babbar), RSS, as well as tarnished the image of BJP, its leaders, supporters and workers in the eyes of general public.