Majithia dares Kejriwal to daily hearing on defamation case

Image
Press Trust of India Chandigarh
Last Updated : Jul 30 2016 | 10:22 PM IST
Punjab Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia today challenged Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to show the "moral and political courage" to agree to a day-to-day hearing in the defamation suit filed against him in an Amritsar court.
"It took just one appearance before the court to expose (Arvind) Kejriwal as a thorough coward," he said in a statement here.
"From a wild accuser, he has been reduced to a mere accused. The accused is now running for cover like a frightened hare. Instead of showing the confidence to ask for a speedy trial as an accused, he is seeking long gaps between hearings in the defamation case in which he is certain to face jail," Majithia claimed.
"Why wait for six months even? You do not have to wait for
that long to put me behind bars. You can achieve that goal in a matter of weeks. All you have to do is agree to a day-to-day hearing, prove your charges regarding the drug trade and open the doors for a court conviction against me. Come and face me daily and get it done with.
"It won't be six months but just days or weeks before either you or I go to jail. Let the people see who ends up where. I dare you to take up my challenge," he said.
Majithia claimed that the only reason why Kejriwal was seeking long gaps between dates of hearing was he wanted his "nautanki" (theatrics) to carry on till the 2017 Assembly polls in Punjab after which he hoped to resort to his "favourite trick of apologising" as he and his party have always done after "every sin and crime".
"But this time, I won't let him wriggle out with this hypocrisy. I will pin him down. Only one of us will remain free and in politics now, it is either him or me," he said.
"Kejriwal, in Punjab, it is not the government that will send you to jail. It is the judiciary. Come and face me daily if you have the courage," said Majithia, referring to the AAP national convener's challenge of getting him arrested within six months or face arrest himself.
Kejriwal, along with AAP leader Sanjay Singh, got bail from an Amritsar court yesterday in the defamation case filed by Majithia against them and another AAP leader Ashish Khetan.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Jul 30 2016 | 10:22 PM IST

Next Story