SC Directs Tejashwi Yadav to File Proper Statement Withdrawing his ‘only Gujaratis Can be Thugs’ Remark

The Supreme Court on Monday directed Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav to submit a “proper statement” withdrawing his alleged remark that “only Gujaratis can be thugs.”

A bench of Justice A S Oka and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan granted one week to Yadav to file a new statement after the complainant raised objections over his earlier affidavit. “We grant time of one week to the petitioner to file a proper statement,” the bench stated and scheduled the matter for further consideration on February 5, 2024.

On January 19, Yadav filed an affidavit in the apex court withdrawing his alleged “Gujarati thugs” remark.

The top court was hearing a petition filed by Yadav, seeking the transfer of the criminal defamation complaint pending against him in an Ahmedabad court over his alleged “only Gujaratis can be thugs” remark to a location outside the state.

During the hearing of Yadav’s plea, the top court had previously stayed the proceedings in the criminal defamation complaint and issued a notice to the Gujarat resident who filed it. The complaint against Yadav was filed under sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for alleged criminal defamation.

In August, the Gujarat court conducted a preliminary inquiry against Yadav under section 202 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and found sufficient grounds to summon him based on the complaint filed by Haresh Mehta, a local businessman and activist.

As per the complaint, Yadav, while speaking to the media in Patna in March 2023, allegedly said, “Only Gujaratis can be thugs in the present situation, and their fraud will be forgiven.” He reportedly questioned, “Who will be responsible if they run away with the money belonging to the LIC or banks?” Mehta asserted that Yadav’s comments defamed all Gujaratis.