The Supreme Court today dismissed a petition filed by Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia to quash defamation proceedings initiated by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma against him. The Supreme Court slammed the AAP leader, saying he should be prepared to face the consequences if he reduces public debate to such a low level.
During the hearing on Monday, a top court bench comprise of Justices SK Kaul and AS Oka stated that the petitioner should have issued an unconditional public apology for the allegations he levelled against the Assam Chief Minister.
The case involves a defamation suit filed by Sarma against Sisodia after the latter, citing news reports, alleged irregularities in the supply of PPE kits to authorities at the National Health Mission (NHM) at “higher than market rates” during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. Sisodia claimed at a press conference on June 4 that Sarma gave contracts to companies owned by his wife and son’s business partners to supply PPE kits at “exorbitant rates” in 2020.
According to Sisodia, while the Assam government purchased PPE kits from other companies for Rs 600 each, Sarma, as the state health minister at the time, issued urgent supply orders to his “wife’s firm, JCB Industries, and Meditime Healthcare, which belonged to a close associate,” at Rs 990 each, “taking advantage of the COVID-19 emergency.”
“It is a major swindle perpetrated by Assam’s chief minister and his close associates.” “It’s a solid corruption case, and the ED is going after (Satyendar) Jain, who is working hard to provide quality healthcare to Delhi residents,” Sisodia had said at the time.
Sarma filed a defamation suit against Sisodia on July 1, less than a month after he made the allegations.
Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi appeared on behalf of the petitioner, arguing that one cannot use authority to “browbeat” others and that the petitioner had never claimed any money was taken. “The petitioner had not made any false statement. I said you have given a contract. It is a fact. You later on said that this contract was given for charity. That you have said after it came in public domain. Now I have nowhere said that you have received money. He has nowhere said that she has received money,” Singhvi told reports.
The court, on the other hand, was outraged by Sisodia’s remarks. “If you reduce public debate to this level, you should face the consequences. You should unconditionally apologise for your conduct. You have said “Assam Ke BJP CM ke bhrastachar ka ye hai Kacha Chittha”. I don’t have to explain to you what this means. Your Hindi is as good as mine,” said Justice Kaul.
“Mid of Covid. Instead of supporting the government you are making allegations. In those urgent times, somebody has done something to work out. If you strongly feel about this then contest it,” Justice Kaul added.
Singhvi chose to withdraw Sisodia’s petition after sensing the court’s unwillingness to hear the case. The petition was later dismissed as withdrawn.