The Supreme Court on Tuesday, February 13, quashed a criminal defamation complaint filed against RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav after he filed an apology affidavit in the apex court withdrawing his ‘only Gujaratis can be thugs’ remark.
The RJD leader’s apology came after the Supreme Court on January 24 granted a week to Tejashwi Yadav to file a “clear statement withdrawing his remarks.”
Notably, the SC’s direction had come in response to Yadav’s request that the criminal defamation case against him that was pending in an Ahmedabad court be moved to a location outside the state, preferably Delhi.
On November 6, the Supreme Court had stayed the proceedings before the Ahmedabad magistrate court.
Yadav was facing allegations of criminal defamation based on a complaint filed by Haresh Mehta, vice-president of the Ahmedabad-based non-profit All India Anti-Corruption and Crime Preventive Council last year. Mehta accused the RJD leader was defaming the Gujaratis with his remarks against Gujarati people.
On 22nd March 2023, Tejashwi Yadav insulted the Gujarati community by suggesting that only Gujaratis could be fraudsters in the current scenario, as they would be forgiven for their actions because both the Prime Minister and the Home Minister are Gujaratis.
“In the country’s present scenario, only a Gujarati can be a thug as their thuggee would be forgiven,” Tejashwi Yadav said. Further attacking the BJP, he queried, who would be responsible if someone ran away with the money of LIC or banks.
The statement was not only a factually incorrect one but also highly demeaning of the hard-working Gujarati community. And his statement became laughable when seen in the light of the scams that took place in Bihar during his father, Lalu Prasad Yadav’s rule. More importantly, when Tejaswi Yadav, who is himself an accused in the Land-for-job scam said something like this, it didn’t go down well.