AAP Leaders Ordered To Take Down Malicious Posts Against Delhi LG By Delhi Court

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is once again facing reprimand from the Delhi High Court.

This time, the Court has restrained AAP and several of its leaders from levelling allegations against Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena, and directed them to take down the alleged libellous posts, videos and tweets against him on social media.

Saxena, since being appointed as the Delhi LG, has come out with several recommendations and orders demanding accountability and action on various corruption charges levelled against the AAP government. This includes Delhi's new excise policy, irregularities in the construction of classrooms and in the purchase of DTC buses, among others.

In order to malign the Delhi LG, in a special assembly session called by AAP at the end of August, AAP leaders alleged that Saxena had received and channelised demonetised currency in November 2016 while acting as chairman of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC). The party had alleged that he was involved in a Rs 1,400 crore scam.

Saxena had sought injunction order against AAP leaders Atishi Singh, Saurabh Bharadwaj, Durgesh Pathak, Sanjay Singh, and Jasmine Shah, who were 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 libellous posts or tweets or videos circulated and issued on social media against him and his family.

He has also sought damages and compensation of Rs 2.5 crore along with interest from the political party and its five leaders.

Saxena submitted in his defamation suit that AAP and its leaders have built their entire vilification campaign on the purported allegations and statements of two accused persons of KVIC who have been charge-sheeted in connection with the exchange of demonetised currency notes case.

It has said that as per the CBI FIR, the amount in question was Rs 17 lakh but the defendants created a 'fanciful' sum of Rs 1,400 crore based on some obtuse mathematical calculations.

Saxena's counsel had contended that there was nothing to substantiate the allegations and even the documents were forged and fabricated and the content was based on hearsay.

The legal notice had also asked the AAP leaders to comply with the requisitions within 48 hours of its receipt.

(with inputs from PTI)