Tejashwi Yadav moves SC seeking transfer of defamation case, informs Ahmedabad court
Ahmedabad (PTI): Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav on Saturday informed a trial court here that he has moved the Supreme Court seeking transfer of the criminal defamation case against him and the matter is likely to be taken up on November 6.
The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader, through his lawyer, sought exemption from appearance in the court of additional metropolitan magistrate DJ Parmar, which had summoned him on September 22 in a criminal defamation case for his alleged remark "only Gujaratis can be thugs".
The court adjourned the case and posted it for hearing on December 2.
The lawyer for complainant Haresh Mehta had argued that since the matter has not been taken up by the apex court yet and no direction has been passed, the trial court must continue hearing the case in Yadav's absence.
Among the grounds for exemption presented before the court on Saturday was Yadav's official engagement on the day and the fact that he has filed a petition under section 406 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) before the Supreme Court seeking transfer of the case.
As per the case status obtained from the website of the Supreme Court, the said transfer petition is tentatively listed on November 6, the RJD leader said.
In the exemption application, Yadav said he is a law-abiding citizen and deputy chief minister of Bihar and ordinarily resided at his official address in Patna.
"Hence, the applicant-accused has not been able to attend the further proceedings before this court owing to pressing and urgent official commitments, which involve overseeing important projects for the welfare of the general public, which is necessary in view of the forthcoming religious festivities in the state," the application stated.
Yadav further stated that his transfer petition before the apex court is likely to be taken up on November 6, and sought that further proceedings be conducted in the presence of his lawyer and no objection be taken in this regard.
The court had conducted an inquiry against Yadav under section 202 of the CrPC and found sufficient grounds to summon him based on a complaint filed by Mehta, a 69-year-old social worker and businessman from Ahmedabad.
Mehta had filed his complaint in court along with the proof of Yadav's statement made before the media in Patna on March 21 this year.
"Only Gujaratis can be thugs in the present situation, and their fraud (crime) will be forgiven. Who will be responsible if they abscond after they are offered the money belonging to the LIC and bank?" Yadav had said.
The complainant claimed that the statement was made in public and calling the entire Gujarati community "thugs" defames and humiliates all Gujaratis in public.
A "thug" is a rogue, sly and criminal person, and such a comparison with the entire community will cause people to look at Gujaratis with suspicion, he said, while seeking maximum punishment for Yadav.
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Siddaramaiah and I have come to understanding, we will abide by it: Shivakumar
Karwar (Karnataka) (PTI): Not willing to make any direct statement on whether there will be a chief minister change in the state, Karnataka Deputy CM D K Shivakumar on Friday said that he and CM Siddaramaiah have come to an agreement with the involvement of the Congress high command, and both of them will abide by it.
Stating that Siddaramaiah is CM as per the high command's decision, he clarified that he has never made any comments on the former's tenure.
Siddaramaiah, earlier in the day, had affirmed that he would remain in office for his full five-year term, expressing confidence in the Congress high command's support.
During a discussion in the Assembly on the issues pertaining to North Karnataka's development, Siddaramaiah also said he never mentioned that he was the chief minister for only two-and-a-half years.
"I had never said, he (Siddaramaiah) will not be there (as CM) for five years. I have never said that the high command is not with him. As the high command is with him, he is chief minister today," Shivakumar told reporters here.
Noting that Siddaramaiah is in the post of CM as per the decision of the party, he said, "Both of us have come to an agreement, the high command has got us to an understanding, as per that both of us have discussed and have said several times that we will abide by it and go ahead."
Shivakumar, however, chose not to answer a question, whether there will be a change in the chief minister post or not.
To a question on talks about CM change, he said, "It is you (media) who is talking about it, there is no discussion among us. We will abide by what the party says."
The Deputy CM was on a visit to various temples in the Uttara Kannada district on Friday.
To a question linking his visit to the goddess Jagadeeshwari temple in Uttara Kannada district's Ankola, to his chief ministerial ambitions, Shivakumar said, "I don't want to talk about it, it is between me and the mother goddess. It is between the devotee and the deity. What I have prayed to the goddess and what she told me is between us."
He said, five years ago he had come to the temple regarding some issue concerning his family and his wish was fulfilled. "So I'm visiting the temple as a mark of gratitude and to seek blessings for me, the state and the people who believe in me. I'm going back happily."
