Shashi Tharoor
Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has approached the Supreme Court seeking relief in a defamation case. This follows the Delhi High Court’s refusal to dismiss the case related to Tharoor’s comments comparing Prime Minister Narendra Modi to a scorpion on a Shivling.
Case Details and Court Proceedings
Tharoor had previously petitioned the Delhi High Court to cancel the defamation case filed by BJP leader Rajiv Babbar. The High Court had earlier stayed the lower court’s proceedings and the summons issued to Tharoor. However, the stay on the summons has been lifted, requiring Tharoor to appear in the lower court.
The case stems from comments Tharoor made at the Bangalore Literature Festival on October 28, 2018, where he compared PM Modi to a scorpion sitting on a Shivling. Rajiv Babbar, who filed the petition, claimed that Tharoor’s remarks offended numerous Shiva devotees. The petition seeks action against Tharoor under Sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code for defamation.
Tharoor is now seeking an early hearing in the Supreme Court to address the matter.
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