The Delhi High Court on Monday issued a summons to Congress leader Shashi Tharoor in connection with a defamation case filed by BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar.
The court has instructed Tharoor to respond to the summons through all permissible modes and set the next hearing for April 28.
Chandrasekhar, a former Union Minister, accused Tharoor of making defamatory comments during a television program ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. The BJP leader is seeking an apology from Tharoor along with Rs 10 crore in damages, claiming that Tharoor’s remarks tarnished his reputation.
A case was registered by the Cyber Police in Thiruvananthapuram on April 15, but the details were only revealed today.
According to the police, the case stemmed from a complaint by BJP leader JR Padmakumar, who accused Tharoor of conducting a false campaign against Chandrasekhar during the televised discussion.
The Election Commission also took action following the incident, issuing a warning to Tharoor for making unverified allegations that allegedly violated the Moral Code of Conduct (MCC) during the election period.
The warning was issued after a complaint was filed by the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), accusing Tharoor of defaming their candidate, Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar.
Tharoor and Chandrasekhar were rivals in the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha seat race, with Tharoor emerging victorious in the election.
