Delhi HC rejects plea seeking action against Rahul, Kejriwal, Akhilesh for ‘false’ statements

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday declined to entertain a plea seeking directions to the Centre to act against politicians Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal and Akhilesh Yadav

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday declined to entertain a plea seeking directions to the Centre to act against politicians Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal and Akhilesh Yadav for allegedly making false and misleading statements intending to damage the image and credibility of the country.

“If the industrialists are aggrieved or the politicians are aggrieved, they will take action. Don’t underestimate the mind of the voter. They are very very smart. They know who is speaking the truth and who is not. Don’t involve us in this. Don’t underestimate the wisdom of Indian voters,” the High Court said.

In his plea, Surjit Singh Yadav, who claimed to be a farmer and social activist, referred to reports on news channels and social media platforms to claim that Mr. Gandhi, Mr. Kejriwal and Mr. Yadav had made a “misleading and false” statement that the Central government had waived loans of ₹16 lakh crore of a few industrialists.

He sought a direction to the Centre to register a complaint and prosecute these three leaders for their “false and misleading” statements. He also sought a direction to several social media platforms and political parties to which these leaders belong, to remove these statements from their electronic and social media platforms.

The High Court, however, said the industrialists and the individuals who are alleged to have been defamed had the means and wherewithal to approach the court and file appropriate proceedings.

“This court is also of the view that the principle of relaxation of locus standi is not called for in this petition. The petitioner underestimates the wisdom of the Indian voters. Accordingly, this court is of the view that no orders are called in the writ petition and the same is closed,” the High Court said.

The petitioner said the statements by the Opposition politicians had created a negative image of India and degraded the credibility of the country and the Central government.