Delhi Court allows exemption plea filed by Kejriwal, 2 other AAP leaders

The Rouse Avenue Court here on Tuesday allowed a plea moved by Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal along with two other party leaders seeking exemption from appearing before it in a defamation case.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Samar Vishal, while approving the application of the AAP leaders seeking an exemption from personal appearance, slated the matter for hearing to June 6.

AAP parliamentarian Sushil Kumar Gupta and party's East Delhi candidate Atishi along with party chief Kejriwal had sought exemption from personal appearance as the trio are busy in political events in Delhi and Haryana in view of the ensuing Lok Sabha polls.

"They all are busy in political work in Delhi and Haryana," said their counsel Mohd Irshad

AAP leaders moved court after ACMM Vishal, last month, issued summons against them and directed them to appear before the court on April 30 in connection with a defamation case filed by Delhi BJP leader Rajiv Babbar.

The court had issued summons after observing that the allegations made by Kejriwal and others are prima facie defamatory and refer to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Delhi BJP leader Rajiv Babbar had alleged that the Chief Minister had stated that a total 30 lakh names of electors belonging to 'Baniya,' Muslims and other communities were allegedly deleted from the voters' list by BJP.

Babbar had also contended that the voters' lists were a prerogative of the Election Commission of India and not of the BJP.