Tharoor alleged that it was an attempt to “throttle the freedom of expression” and the defamation charges are baseless.
New Delhi| Reacting to the criminal defamation case filed against him, Shashi Tharoor called it “frivolous”. Earlier today, Delhi BJP leader Rajeev Babbar filed a criminal defamation case against Congress senior leader Shashi Tharoor for his “Scorpion on Shivaling” comment against PM Modi. The complaint said that the remark hurt the sentiments of Shiva devotees.
However, Tharoor alleged that it was an attempt to “throttle the freedom of expression”. He said that the charges are baseless. “If we start to stifle the right of the people to quote published material then where would our democracy head ?… Where is the freedom of expression ?” he told reporters.
Tharoor at Bangalore Literature Festival had a quote by an unnamed RSS leader calling PM Modi a “Scorpion on Shivaling”. Tharoor had earlier clarified that the comment first appeared in a 2012 article published in a magazine quoting an unnamed RSS leader. “So why has this defamation suit been filed against me now? In my book, I, as a writer had quoted 5,000 other examples and stories,” he said.
He further said that he doesn’t believe he has done anything wrong. “Any author would have felt free to quote such published material in writing,” he said. Talking about the defamation case, he expressed hope, “I am surprised to hear about the defamation suit. I hope the judge will throw it out on the grounds that this is the actual fact. But if not then certainly we have to defend it,” he asserted. Tharoor also accused that the courts are being used as a tool of political oppression.
The matter is likely to come up for hearing Saturday.
As an independent media platform, we do not take advertisements from governments and corporate houses. It is you, our readers, who have supported us on our journey to do honest and unbiased journalism. Please contribute, so that we can continue to do the same in future.
