The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a plea filed by the BJP's Telangana unit challenging a high court order which quashed a defamation case against Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy over his speech during the 2024 Lok Sabha poll campaign. The case stemmed from a speech Reddy made during the 2024 Lok Sabha election campaign.
A bench comprising the Chief Justice of India (CJI), BR Gavai, and Justices K Vinod Chandran and Atul S Chandurkar, stated that it was not inclined to intervene. "We are time and again saying don't use this court for political battles," the bench observed. "Dismissed. If you are a politician, then you should have a thick skin."
The complainant accused Reddy of colluding with the Telangana Congress to spread a "fake and dubious political narrative" that the BJP would abolish reservations if it came to power. He claimed that the alleged defamatory speech lowered the BJP's reputation as a political party.
A trial court said in August last year that a prima facie case was made against Reddy for the alleged offences of defamation under the erstwhile Indian Penal Code and under Section 125 of The Representation of the People Act, 1951.
Reddy challenged the trial court's order in the high court, arguing that the allegations did not constitute a prima facie case and that political speeches should not be the subject of defamation claims. The high court agreed with his argument, noting that "even if this court were to accept that the complainant is a part of the national unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party and may be treated as a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party, the complaint is not maintainable for the lack of authorisation." It stated that neither the complainant nor its representative was authorised by the national BJP unit to file the complaint.
The high court further supported Reddy's contention that the threshold for alleging defamation in political speeches should be much higher. "Political speeches are often exaggerated," the high court said. "To allege that such speeches are defamatory is another exaggeration." The high court subsequently quashed the trial court's order and all related proceedings, allowing Reddy's plea.
Also read: Revanth Reddy: From farmer’s son to Telangana CM
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