BJP’s outreach move ahead of Madarihat bypolls
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is gearing up for a 'public outreach' campaign in the Madarihat Assembly segment, as it seeks to retain the seat in an upcoming by-election.
A Special Court in Delhi on Tuesday granted bail to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia in connection with a defamation case filed by BJP leader Vijender Gupta.
Gupta had filed the case last month, alleging Kejriwal of tweeting that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wanted to get him killed after he was slapped during a roadshow and of “maligning” his image.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders have to furnish a bail bond of Rs 10,000 each. The court posted the matter for further hearing on July 25.
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The court on July 8 had summoned Kejriwal and his deputy Sisodia for today. “There exists sufficient ground to proceed against the respondents… Accordingly, Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia are summoned for commission of offence of defamation under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code (sic),” the court had said.
The notice was sent by the Leader of Opposition in context to the defamatory tweets of the Chief Minister and the Deputy CM and subsequent failure on part their part to withdraw the tweets and apologise.
विजय जी, मेरी हत्या मेरा PSO नहीं, मोदी जी करवाना चाहते हैं। https://t.co/2jCwJPOca8
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 20, 2019
Vijender Gupta had stated in his notice that Kejriwal and Sisodia circulated the news in Punjab claiming that Kejriwal would be assassinated like former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by his personal security officer (PSO).
The notice had also stated that in order to achieve political gains, Kejriwal had himself “scripted the slapgate incident” during his roadshow on 4 May and blamed BJP and him for the incident.
The court also granted bail to Kejriwal, Sisodia and another AAP leader Sushil Gupta in another defamation suit filed by the BJP leader Rajiv Babbar. Babbar had filed the case after the AAP leaders accused the BJP of deleting the names of 30 lakh people from the electoral rolls.
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