Supreme Court Grants Six Weeks for Delhi BJP Leader's Response in Defamation Case

The Supreme Court has allotted six weeks for a Delhi BJP leader to respond to Delhi Chief Minister Atishi and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal's plea regarding a defamation case. The case concerns alleged remarks about the deletion of voter names, with the BJP seeking action against AAP leaders.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday extended the timeline by six weeks for a Delhi BJP leader to reply to a legal challenge from Delhi Chief Minister Atishi and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal. The lawsuit is in connection with remarks made about alleged voter name deletions.

Presiding over the bench, Justices Hrishikesh Roy and S V N Bhatti postponed the proceedings after Rajiv Babbar's counsel requested additional time to file his response. Previously, Babbar, acting as BJP's representative, filed a defamation case, citing that the statements harmed the party’s image.

The Court will examine whether a political party could qualify as an 'aggrieved person' under legal provisions for defamation, impacting the exercise of free speech in political debates. It underscores the meticulous scrutiny required in such political disputes.

(With inputs from agencies.)