'Made A Mistake': Arvind Kejriwal Admits In SC Over Retweeting Defamatory Video

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday apologised before the Supreme Court for retweeting a video deemed defamatory and originally circulated by YouTuber Dhruv Rathee in 2018. A bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta has instructed the trial court to temporarily halt proceedings in the defamation case against Kejriwal.

Legal Challenge

Kejriwal, the national convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), has contested the February 5 ruling of the Delhi High Court, which declined to dismiss the summons issued against him. The High Court maintained that sharing allegedly libellous content constitutes a violation of defamation laws.

Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Kejriwal, conceded the ''mistake'', emphasizing that had they been aware of the consequences, the retweet would not have occurred. Singhvi sought a delay in the trial court proceedings, citing the swift prosecution against Kejriwal. He remarked on the expeditious nature of the prosecution and expressed intent to request an adjournment before the trial court.

Acknowledging Kejriwal's current position, Justice Khanna indicated that Kejriwal need not be present in court at present.

The bench instructed the complainant's advocate to ascertain if the case could be resolved given Kejriwal's acknowledgement of the error. The complainant's advocate agreed to consult his client, and the matter was adjourned for a hearing on March 11.

Temporary Relief to Kejriwal

The bench ordered a relisting of the case on March 11 and directed that the trial court refrain from further action in the meantime.

Defamation Complaint Against Kejriwal

The defamation complaint stemmed from Kejriwal's retweet of a video by a YouTuber in 2018, wherein the founder of a Twitter page named 'I Support Narendra Modi' was accused of acting akin to 'BJP IT CELL Part-II'. This retweet prompted the Twitter page's founder to file a defamation complaint against the Chief Minister.