The Supreme Court has extended relief to senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor until the next hearing in a case related to his controversial remarks comparing Prime Minister Narendra Modi to a ‘scorpion sitting on a Shivling’.
The bench, headed by Justice MM Sundresh, issued the order on Thursday.
Plea for Early Hearing and Court’s Response
Former Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand, appearing for Tharoor, requested the court to list the matter for an early hearing on a non-miscellaneous day.
Responding to the request, Justice Sundresh remarked, “Why be so sensitive about it? Let’s stop this. Administrators, politicians, and judges, we all belong to the same group. Our skin is thick enough.”
The controversy dates back to October 28, 2018, when Shashi Tharoor, during the Bangalore Literature Festival, made a remark stating that Prime Minister Modi was like a “scorpion sitting on a Shivling, you can’t remove it with your hand and you can’t hit it with a slipper either.”
The remark triggered outrage, and BJP leader Rajiv Babbar filed a criminal defamation case, claiming the statement hurt the sentiments of countless devotees of Lord Shiva. He described himself as a staunch Shiva devotee and called Tharoor’s comment unbearable.
High Court’s Earlier Stand
Earlier, the Delhi High Court dismissed Tharoor’s plea to quash the proceedings. It held that, prima facie, the statement was ‘disgusting and defamatory’ and found no reason to cancel the legal process.
The court noted there was sufficient material for the judicial magistrate to summon Tharoor under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which deals with defamation.
The defamation case against Tharoor is based on Sections 499 and 500 of the IPC. The complainant alleges that Tharoor’s remarks defamed the Prime Minister and offended religious sentiments.
The Supreme Court will take up the case for further hearing on a date yet to be confirmed.
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