'We completely disagree with court order': AAP after HC directs them to take down 'defamatory' posts against Delhi LG

New Delhi: Delhi LG V K Saxena should come forward and face a probe into the allegations levelled against him if he has not done "anything wrong", the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said on Tuesday, stressing that truth must prevail in "public discourse". Hours after the Delhi High Court's interim order came in a matter pertaining to alleged defamatory statements by the AAP and its leaders against Saxena, the Arvind Kejriwal-led party said it respects judiciary but nothing can deter it from raising "matters of corruption against any powerful individual".

The AAP "strongly" believes that elected representatives and the political parties have a "duty" to bring up matters of public importance before the citizens, the party said in a carefully-worded statement following the court's interim relief to Saxena.

In an interim order earlier in the day, the High Court directed the AAP and its leaders to take down alleged libelous posts, videos and tweets against Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) Saxena and also restrained them from making any further allegations against him.

Justice Amit Bansal, while pronouncing the order on interim relief, said, "I have passed an ad-interim injunction order in favour of the plaintiff and a takedown order."

"We strongly believe that elected representatives and political parties have a duty to bring up matters of public importance before the citizens. We respect the judiciary of our country but under no circumstances can we be deterred from raising matters of corruption against any powerful individual," the AAP said in its statement.

"We expect that the central government should set up an independent enquiry into matters which are related to corruption charges irrespective of their political affiliation," it said.

"We will not hesitate to speak the truth at any cost and will take recourse to all available legal remedies for the protection of our rights," the party added.

It said it "expects" that the central government would set up an independent enquiry into matters "which are related to corruption charges (against anyone), irrespective of their political affiliation".

"We also expect LG to demand an independent and fair investigation," the AAP said, asking, "If he has not done anything wrong, why is he running away from investigations?"

"Truth must prevail in public discourse," the party added.

Soon after the High Court's interim order earlier in the day, Saxena tweeted "Satyameva Jayate" (truth alone triumphs).

"We completely and politely disagree with the order (of the court). We will study it thoroughly, discuss it with lawyers and let you know our next course of action," senior AAP leader Durgesh Pathak told reporters when asked for his party's reaction.

Pathak is an MLA from the Rajinder Nagar assembly constituency in Delhi and a member of the AAP's political affairs committee, the party's highest decision-making body.

Saxena had sought to injunct AAP, its leaders Atishi Singh, Saurabh Bharadwaj, Durgesh Pathak, Sanjay Singh, and Jasmine Shah, who was appointed by the Government of NCT of Delhi as

Vice Chairperson of the Dialogue and Development Commission, to delete or take down the alleged false and libelous posts or tweets or videos circulated and issued on social media against him and his family.

The AAP leaders had alleged irregularities related to demonetised currency when Saxena was the chairman of Khadi and Village Industries Commission.

Denying the charge, Saxena sought damages and compensation of Rs 2.5 crore along with interest from the AAP and its five leaders.