Bajrang Dal remark: Punjab court summons Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in Rs 100 crore defamation case
The defamation suit was filed by Hitesh Bhardwaj, 51, national president of Hindu Suraksha Parishad and a resident of Sangrur's officer colony. Court of civil judge Ramandeep Kaur in the Sangrur district court asked Kharge to be present in the court on July 10, the date of the next hearing.
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Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge. (Express Photo by Tashi Tobgyal) The Sangrur district court in Punjab Monday summoned Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge in a Rs 100 crore defamation case over the party’s remark against Bajrang Dal during the Karnataka Assembly poll campaigning.
The defamation case was filed by Hitesh Bhardwaj, 51, national president of Hindu Suraksha Parishad and a resident of Sangrur’s officer colony. Court of civil judge Ramandeep Kaur in the Sangrur district court asked Kharge to be present in the court on July 10, the date of the next hearing.
The defamation suit includes the recovery of Rs 100 crore along with interest at 12 per cent per annum from the filing date till realisation, along with Rs 10 lakh as legal fees.
Bhardwaj said the case was filed in the court on May 11 and registered on May 12. He said he got the copy of the legal notice on Monday. “The defamation suit has been filed after the Congress chief issued an election manifesto in Karnataka. The election manifesto was circulated in Sangrur as well via social media; in para number 10 of the manifesto, the defendant issued defamatory statements against Bajrang Dal, a unit of a Hindu Suraksha Parishad, by declaring to ban the organisation and comparing it to outlawed terrorist organisations like Popular Front of India and similar terrorist organisations like Islamic Movement of India.”
The defamation suit stated that the defendant levelled serious, baseless, defamatory allegations against Bajrang Dal, knowingly and intentionally, to defame its reputation.
Bhardwaj stated, “The content of the manifesto has hurt our sentiments, and hence a defamation suit has been filed against the All Indian Congress Committee (AICC) president.”
Ahead of the Karnataka polls, which it eventually won, the Congress in its manifesto said law and Constitution are “sacrosanct and cannot be violated by individuals and organisations like Bajrang Dal, PFI or others promoting enmity or hatred, whether among majority or minority communities”. It promised to take “decisive action”, including a ban on “organisations spreading hatred amongst communities”.
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