New Delhi (Agency): On August 9th, an Ahmedabad metropolitan court declared that it will make a decision by the end of August regarding whether to issue a summons to Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister, Tejashwi Yadav. This decision is rooted in a criminal defamation case over Yadav’s controversial statement that “only Gujaratis can be thugs.”
The court’s magistrate, DJ Parmar, shared on Tuesday that the official order would be passed on August 28. This case has been brought against Yadav under sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code, which concern criminal defamation.
The decision to reserve the order followed a detailed inquiry into Yadav’s remarks, which was carried out under section 202 of the CrPC (Code of Criminal Procedure). This inquiry sought to determine if the summons should be issued based on a complaint from Haresh Mehta, a businessman and social worker from Ahmedabad.
Earlier this year, on March 21, Yadav reportedly made the statement in front of the media in Patna, suggesting that in the current scenario, “Only Gujaratis can be thugs… and their fraud (crime) will be forgiven.” As per Mehta’s account, Yadav further questioned, “Who would be responsible if they abscond after they are offered the money belonging to the LIC and bank?”
Mehta, who is 63 years old, took offense to this statement, suggesting it was disrespectful to the entire Gujarati community. He pointed out that calling every Gujarati a “thug” – which refers to a deceptive or criminal individual – might lead non-Gujaratis to view the community with mistrust. The complainant emphasized that he felt belittled as a Gujarati upon hearing such comments, fearing others might perceive him as a “thug.”
Drawing a parallel, there was a recent case where Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was sentenced to a two-year prison term by a Surat court for making a comment about the “Modi surname.” Due to the two-year sentence, Gandhi faced disqualification from his position as a Member of Parliament. However, the Supreme Court intervened on August 4, putting a stay on his conviction, allowing Gandhi to return to Parliament.
In related news, another Ahmedabad court has summoned Delhi’s Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal, and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader, Sanjay Singh. They are expected to appear in court on August 11 due to a defamation case. This case has been filed by Gujarat University, referencing media statements and social media posts from the AAP leaders that discussed a Gujarat High Court judgment concerning Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s educational qualifications.