The Supreme Court of India has dismissed a plea filed by Arvind Kejriwal, the national convener of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), seeking a stay on criminal defamation proceedings initiated against him by Gujarat University. This legal battle revolves around Kejriwal’s comments concerning Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s educational qualifications, specifically his degree.
Kejriwal had challenged an order by the Gujarat High Court, which refused to quash the summons issued in the defamation case. The Supreme Court bench, comprising Justices Hrishikesh Roy and S V N Bhatti, stated that they needed to maintain consistency in their approach and cited a previous ruling where they had dismissed a similar plea filed by another AAP leader, Sanjay Singh, in the same case.
This decision comes on the heels of the Gujarat High Court’s dismissal in February of pleas filed by both Singh and Kejriwal, seeking the quashing of summons issued against them. The summons were issued by a trial court based on a defamation case filed by Gujarat University.
The controversy surrounding PM Modi’s degree has its roots in 2016, when then-Central Information Commissioner (CIC) M Sridhar Acharyulu directed Delhi University and Gujarat University to provide information to Kejriwal about PM Modi’s degrees. However, the Gujarat High Court later stayed the CIC order following an appeal by the university.
In 2022, the Gujarat High Court ruled that the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) was not required to furnish PM Modi’s degree and postgraduate degree certificates. The court also imposed a cost of ₹25,000 on Kejriwal.
The ongoing legal battle surrounding this issue underscores the political tensions surrounding PM Modi’s educational qualifications and the AAP’s relentless pursuit of transparency regarding the matter. The Supreme Court’s decision effectively puts an end to Kejriwal’s attempt to delay the defamation proceedings, paving the way for the case to proceed in the lower courts.
The case will now move forward in the City Civil & Sessions Court Ahmedabad, where Kejriwal and Sanjay Singh will face the charges of defamation. The outcome of this case will be closely watched by political observers and the public alike, as it potentially could have implications for the ongoing political landscape in India.