Court gives last chance to cops to file ATR on plea against Mani Shankar Aiyar

A Delhi court today granted the last opportunity to the police to file an action taken report on a BJP leader's plea seeking lodging of a sedition case against suspended Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar for allegedly using derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Metropolitan Magistrate Vasundhara Azad directed the Delhi Police Crime Branch to file the report by September 20, the next date of hearing.

The police had on the last date of hearing told the court that BJP leader Ajay Agrawal's plea has been transferred to the crime branch.

Agrawal, who had contested the last Lok Sabha election against UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi from Rae Bareli, has sought lodging of a sedition case against Aiyar for hosting Pakistani officials, alleging that it had "posed a threat to national security".

The plea said a meeting was held at the south Delhi residence of Aiyar last year which was attended by a former foreign minister and the High Commissioner of Pakistan, among others.

In his plea, Agrawal has claimed that "derogatory" words were used against Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the meeting held on December 6, 2017, which was also attended by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and former Vice President Hamid Ansari.

The court had earlier directed Agrawal, the petitioner and an advocate, to submit copies of the documents in the court, based on which the police would file an ATR.

The petitioner has sought the court's direction to the police to book Aiyar and others present, under conspiracy and sedition charges, and investigate the matter.

He had said the Ministry of External Affairs and the Home Ministry were not informed about the meeting despite India's strained relations with Pakistan.