The Supreme Court dismissed Arvind Kejriwal's plea against the criminal defamation case filed by Gujarat University regarding PM Modi's degree.
New Delhi. The Supreme Court dealt a major blow to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief and former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal on Monday (October 21). Gujarat University had filed a criminal defamation case against him over his statements regarding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's degree. Kejriwal had challenged this in the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court dismissed the AAP leader's plea. The way is now clear for the defamation case to proceed against him.
Gujarat Police had issued summons against Kejriwal in the defamation case. Kejriwal challenged it in the Gujarat High Court. The High Court dismissed his petition. Following this, the AAP leader challenged the High Court's order in the Supreme Court, but once again his petition was dismissed.
A bench of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and SV.N. Bhatti heard Kejriwal's plea on Monday and dismissed it. The bench noted that the Supreme Court had dismissed a petition filed by co-accused Sanjay Singh in this matter in April 2024. The bench said that the court should adopt a consistent approach. In view of the approach taken in Sanjay Singh's petition, it is not inclined to consider Kejriwal's case.
Why is the university not publishing Narendra Modi's degree?
Senior advocate Dr. Abhishek Manu Singhvi appeared for Kejriwal in the Supreme Court. He asked why the university is not publishing Narendra Modi's degree. Is it because the degree is fake?
Singhvi said that if Kejriwal's statement was defamatory, then Narendra Modi should have filed a criminal defamation case, not the Registrar of Gujarat University. Kejriwal's remarks cannot be considered defamatory to the university.