A Delhi court issued notice to the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on a defamation complaint filed by Lipika Mitra, the wife of AAP leader Somnath Bharti. According to Bar and Bench, Mitra has accused the BJP leader of "making and publishing defamatory, derogatory and libelous remarks in print and electronic media" against her and Bharti during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
According to the report, Mitra has alleged that for political gains, Sitharaman had wrongly spoken about alleged marital discord between Mitra and Bharti. In the order passed by Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Paras Dalal on May 19, the court has noted that the proposed accused is required to be issued notice under the provisions of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
"Matter is at the stage of cognizance and in compliance of first proviso to section 223 BNSS, the proposed accused is to be given opportunity of being heard. Accordingly, on filing of PF within 03 days from today, let notice be issued to proposed accused," the judge ordered.
The next hearing in the matter is scheduled to take place on June 12.
Somnath Bharti was the candidate from the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) from the New Delhi parliamentary constituency for the 2024 Lok Sabha election. Bharti’s wife has alleged that the Union Finance Minister in a press conference had made defamatory utterances against Bharti to weaken the chances of winning of the AAP leader in the polls.
"Almost like every couple, the complainant and her husband had developed certain issues and the same though unfortunately, had got blown out of proportion resulting in media trial etc but courtesy well wishers of the family, the matter was finally settled in all aspects on May 7, 2019 and since then the complainant and her husband Mr. Somnath Bharti are living happily with children, a fact which was widely reported in the media and everyone had come to know of it but during the press conference, solely with an intent to hurt the complainant and her husband solely for political gains to BJP's candidate and political loss to the complainant's husband during 2024 Loksabha Election, the accused spoke about the matrimonial discord of the complainant and her husband but withheld the information of their reunion and living together happily," Mitra said in the complaint as quoted by Bar and Bench.
The complaint further adds that the statements by Sitharaman were aimed at tarnishing the reputation of her husband.