In a statement to the Supreme Court on Monday, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal acknowledged his error in retweeting a purportedly defamatory video uploaded by YouTuber Dhruv Rathee.
Representing Kejriwal, senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi conceded, "I can admit that I erred in retweeting."
The bench, comprising justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta, abstained from issuing notice on Kejriwal's plea challenging a Delhi High Court verdict that upheld summons issued against him in a criminal defamation case. Instead, they inquired whether the complainant sought to resolve the matter in light of the chief minister's apology.
Furthermore, the bench instructed the trial court to postpone proceedings related to the defamation case involving Kejriwal until March 11.
In its ruling dated February 5, the Delhi High Court declined to annul the summons issued to Kejriwal in the defamation lawsuit, emphasizing the amplified repercussions when a public figure tweets or retweets. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, presiding over the bench, remarked, "The consequences are profound when a public figure of political stature shares or endorses defamatory content, particularly on social media platforms. The audience extends to the general public, whose perceptions might be shaped by the information they encounter, including the defamatory material disseminated on social media."
The judge elaborated, "Given the substantial following of a particular individual, such as the petitioner herein, on platforms like Twitter, any content posted by the petitioner on his account is intended for the public who follow him."
Vikas Sanskrityanan, the proprietor of the social media page 'I Support Narendra Modi,' filed a defamation complaint against Kejriwal, alleging that the chief minister retweeted a video titled 'BJP IT Cell Part II,' initially shared by Dhruv Rathee, containing unfounded and derogatory allegations against him. Sanskrityanan contended that Kejriwal's extensive online audience facilitated the global dissemination of the video, not limited to India.
