'Scorpion' remark against PM Modi: The Supreme Court on Monday extended the interim stay on the trial court proceedings against Congress MP Shashi Tharoor in a defamation case filed for his alleged "scorpion on Shivling" remark targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018.
A bench comprising Justices Hrishikesh Roy and SVN Bhatti has granted four weeks' time to Delhi police and the complainant to file their responses to Tharoor's plea. "The interim order (of stay on the defamation proceedings) to continue," directed the bench.
The counsel representing the Delhi Police argued that the main issue in the defamation case against Shashi Tharoor was determining whether the complainant, Rajiv Babbar, a BJP leader, could be considered an aggrieved party.
SC stays defamation case against Shashi Tharoor
Earlier on September 10, the apex court had put an interim stay on proceedings in the criminal defamation case against Congress MP Tharoor. The Congress MP had moved the top court against the high court's August 29 order, which refused to quash the defamation proceedings against him.
Tharoor had sought setting aside the trial court's April 27, 2019, order summoning him as an accused in the criminal defamation complaint.
The complaint was filed against Tharoor in the trial court by Babbar, who claimed that his religious sentiments were hurt by the Congress leader's statement.
Supreme Court issues notice to Raj Babbar
The apex court also issued a notice to Babbar and asked him to file his response within four weeks, following Tharoor's challenge to the criminal defamation proceedings. The Supreme Court bench also sought a response from the Delhi Police and fixed the matter for hearing next after four weeks.
Delhi High Court on Tharoor's case
The Delhi High Court had refused to quash the defamation proceedings against Tharoor on August 29. It had said prima facie, imputations like “scorpion on shivling” against the prime minister are “despicable and deplorable”. The high court had said prima facie, the remarks defamed the Prime Minister, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as well as its office-bearers and members.
In October 2018, Tharoor had claimed that an unnamed RSS leader had compared Modi to "a scorpion sitting on a Shivling". The Congress leader had said it was an "extraordinarily striking metaphor".
(With PTI inputs)
