The Supreme Court on Monday slammed Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia for bringing down public discourse by raising allegations against wife of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma with regard to supply of PPE kit during the peak of Covid-19 pandemic.
The top court refused to consider a plea by him to quash defamation proceedings initiated against him on a complaint by Sarma at a court in Assam.
“What do you mean by ‘Assam ki CM ki biwi ke bhrashtachaar ka kuchaa chitthaa’,” a bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Abhay S Oka asked senior advocate A M Singhvi, appearing for Sisodia.
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The bench said keeping in mind the stooping down of public discourse by Sisodia, it is ideal that he now face the consequences.
“You have to face the consequences for reducing discourse to this level. Without paying heed to what country was facing, you make such statements,” the bench further told Sisodia.
Sisodia had alleged that the Assam Chief Minister had awarded a contract for Covid-19 personal protective equipment (PPE) kits during the peak of pandemic in 2021, to a company linked to his wife.
Singhvi contended Sisodia was being browbeaten and that he had never really alleged that Sarma’s wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma received any money.
The bench declined to grant any relief to the AAP leader, stating that Sisodia should have given an unconditional apology.
Senior advocate Ranjit Kumar, appeared for Assam CM while Nalin Kohli Additional Advocate General represented the state government.
Sisodia’s counsel finally preferred to withdraw his plea.
On November 4, the Gauhati High Court had dismissed his plea for quashing of the proceedings at the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Kamrup at Guwahati on the complaint filed on June 4.
