The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a plea on Tuesday filed by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal and former Delhi Chief Minister Atishi. They are seeking the quashing of summons issued against them in a defamation case related to their comments on the alleged deletion of voters’ names from electoral rolls.
Earlier, the top court had granted relief to Kejriwal and Atishi by staying further proceedings in the defamation case brought by BJP leader Rajiv Babbar. The court emphasized the need for a higher threshold in political discourse.
In September 2024, the Delhi High Court declined to intervene in the trial court’s summoning order issued to the AAP leaders for offenses under Sections 499/500 of the now-repealed IPC (Indian Penal Code).
The High Court stated that the imputations made were prima facie defamatory, with the intention of vilifying the BJP and gaining political advantage. It also noted that the Election Commission, not political parties, is responsible for managing the voters’ list.
