NEW DELHI: Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders Aaditya Thackeray and Sanjay Raut on Monday opposed before the Delhi High Court a defamation plea filed against them by Maharastra MP Rahul Ramesh Shewale of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's faction for allegedly levelling frivolous corruption charges against him and his faction.
While Raut’s counsel submitted that they have a right to criticise in a democratic space, former Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray said there was nothing slanderous about the political statements made by him.
Pursuant to an earlier high court order, former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, his son Aaditya Thackeray and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut made their appearances in the court through their respective lawyers.
The three defendants filed their replies to the plaintiff’s application seeking interim relief to remove the allegedly defamatory content from social media platforms. Justice Prateek Jalan listed the suit for the completion of the pleadings before the joint registrar on May 10.
During the hearing, senior advocate Devdutt Kamat, appearing for Raut, said for the first time in the history of common law, a political party is suing for defamation. He claimed that the plaint was not maintainable and it was an attempt to gag free speech. “Is it that in a democratic space there can’t be any criticism?” the counsel asked and said there was no question of any interim relief to be given to the plaintiff.