The Supreme Court on Monday turned down a petition filed by the BJP’s Telangana unit challenging the High Court’s decision to quash a defamation case against Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy.
The case stemmed from Reddy’s remarks during the 2024 Lok Sabha election campaign.
The bench, led by Chief Justice of India B R Gavai and accompanied by Justices K Vinod Chandran and Atul S Chandurkar, declined to interfere, stressing that courts should not be drawn into political disputes. “We are time and again saying don’t use this court for political battles. Dismissed. If you are a politician, then you should have a thick skin,” the court remarked.
Background
The controversy traces back to May 2024, when the BJP’s Telangana unit, through its general secretary, lodged a complaint alleging that Reddy’s campaign speech defamed the party. The complaint accused him of spreading false narratives, including claims that the BJP planned to abolish reservations if elected. According to the complainant, such statements misled voters and damaged the party’s reputation.
The trial court in Hyderabad, in August 2024, had found that the complaint established a prima facie case for offences of defamation under the IPC and Section 125 of the Representation of the People Act, which pertains to promoting hostility between groups during elections.
Reddy challenged the trial court’s findings, arguing that political speeches are often exaggerated and should not be construed as defamatory. He contended that the complaint lacked sufficient grounds to initiate legal proceedings.
The Telangana High Court agreed, observing that public discourse during elections frequently contains exaggerations and that treating every political speech as defamation would set an unrealistic precedent. The court further pointed out that the state BJP unit was not authorised by the national leadership to file such a complaint.
“Even if this court were to accept that the complainant is a part of the national unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party and may be treated as a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party, the complaint is not maintainable for the lack of authorisation,” it noted.
Accordingly, the high court dismissed the complaint and quashed the trial court’s proceedings.
SC Upholds Court’s Stand
Court’s refusal to entertain the plea reaffirmed its stance against using judicial forums for political skirmishes. By declining to interfere, the bench underscored that politicians must expect and tolerate sharp criticism during elections.
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