Court to hear arguments in defamation case against Shinde

A Delhi court on Wednesday fixed February 18 for hearing arguments of a complainant who has filed a defamation case against Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde for his remarks linking BJP and RSS to Hindu terror.

The petitioner, V P Kumar had earlier recorded his pre- summoning evidence before Metropolitan Magistrate Amitabh Rawat, who fixed the matter for hearing the arguments on summoning Shinde for February 18.

"I will hear argument in the matter on February 18, before passing any specific order against anyone," the judge said.

The court had recorded the evidence of the complainant after it heard his counsel Monika Arora, who alleged that the Home Minister had "wilfully" made the "derogatory" remarks to cause "ill will and hatred among communities".

Kumar, in his petition, alleged that Shinde's remarks were aimed at "polarising minority votes" in the 2014 general elections.

"The impugned statement is not only defamatory in its natural meaning but also contains the imputation and insinuation that Hindu religion is involved in anti-national and terrorist activities," the petition said, adding the minister "has used the word saffron as synonyms of terrorism, which is totally absurd, wrong, mischievous and defamatory".

According to the petition, Shinde, while addressing an AICC meeting at Jaipur last month, had said, "...We have got an investigation report that be it RSS or BJP, their training camps are promoting Hindu terrorism. We are keeping a strict vigil on all this."

ALSO READ

Verdict in Dec 16 rape case expected by month-end: Neeraj Kumar

China incursion: Both sides withdraw troops from Daulat Beg Oldi sector

Sonia Gandhi consults A K Antony on Pawan Bansal issue

Coalgate probe: No accused or suspect let off, says CBI chief Ranjit Sinha