On Tuesday (28th May), Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court issued summons to Delhi minister and AAP leader Atishi in a defamation case. Delhi BJP’s media head Praveen Shankar Kapoor had filed the defamation case over her claims that the saffron party approached AAP leaders to join their party in return for ₹20-30 crores each. The court has asked her to appear before the court on 29th June.
The Delhi court ordered, “Therefore, in view of the above discussion, there exist sufficient grounds to summon accused Atishi Marlena u/s 500 IPC. Accordingly, issue summons to accused Ms Atishi Marlena for offence u/s 500 IPC on filing of PF and RC as per rules.”
Earlier in April, BJP’s Delhi media head, Praveen Kapoor issued a defamation notice to the AAP leader. He emphasised that AAP leaders failed to furnish any material to substantiate their poaching claims. In his petition, the BJP leader had also named Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. However, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Tanya Bamniyal of the Rouse Avenue Courts said that no prima facie case was made against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for issuing summons to him.
The case pertains to Atishi Marlena’s remarks where she alleged that the BJP attempted to bribe and poach AAP legislators. Through his petition, Kapoor claimed the allegations damaged his and his party’s reputation. The court took cognisance of the allegations, identified Atishi as an accused, and ordered her to appear before the court on 29th June.
Additionally, in his petition, the BJP leader has also sought that Atishi should withdraw her remarks and issue an apology on TV and social media.
In his court application, Kapoor cited a social media post by Delhi CM and AAP Supremo Arvind Kejriwal, where he claimed that the BJP had approached seven AAP MLAs and offered them Rs 25 crore to switch parties.
He also included Atishi’s remarks where she alleged that she received an offer to join the BJP to “save” her “political career”. She had claimed that if she failed to comply, she would be arrested by the Enforcement Directorate.
Addressing a press conference in April, Atishi said, “The BJP has approached me through someone very close. They have asked me to join the BJP and said this will save my political career. They have threatened that if I don’t switch over, ED will arrest me within a month.”
Claiming that PM Modi and BJP wants to dismantle AAP, Atishi added, “I was told that I should enhance my political career by joining the BJP, otherwise the ED would arrest me within a month… Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP are determined to dismantle AAP and its leadership.”
It is pertinent to note that in the press conference, Atishi Marlena had also claimed that probing agencies would arrest her and her party colleagues including Saurabh Bharadwaj, Raghav Chadha, and Durgesh Pathak in the next two months.
