Kejriwal circular stayed

The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed a circular by the Delhi government on initiating defamation proceedings for publishing articles/news items against the chief minister or ministers and other public servants on government affairs.

A bench of Justices Dipak Misra and Prafulla C. Pant, staying the circular, criticised Mr Kejriwal for issuing the circular on one hand while on the other challenging the same defamation provisions, and getting a stay from the court. The same bench, acting on a writ petition from Mr Kejriwal had stayed all cases filed against him pending in various courts.

The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed a Delhi government circular on filing of defamation cases against media houses for publishing or broadcasting news that damage the reputation of the CM, the council of ministers and the government.

Senior advocate Amit Sibal, whose defamation case against Mr Kejriwal was also stayed, had drawn the court’s attention to the May 6 circular empowering the authorities to initiate defamation cases.

Meanwhile, the Congress and the BJP, as well as Mr Kejriwal’s former ally Prashant Bhushan welcomed the decision and criticised the “double standard” of the Kejriwal dispensation.

Senior counsel Abhishek Singhvi and Siddarth Luthra contended that the circular was unconstitutional. In view of this circular, they wanted the court to vacate the stay granted in favour of Mr Kejriwal in the defamation cases filed by Union minister Nitin Gadkari, Surender Sharma, Amit Sibal and others.