'Won't allow court to be used as platform for political battles': SC rejects Telangana BJP's plea against CM Revanth Reddy

The case concerned a speech by the Telangana Chief Minister during the 2024 Lok Sabha poll campaign.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday said it will not allow the court to become a platform for political battles and a politician should have a strong skin to bear the criticism of his opponents.

A bench led by Chief Justice of India B R Gavai rejected a plea by the Telangana unit of the BJP against an order passed by the Telangana High Court, which had quashed a defamation case against Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy.

The case concerned a speech by the CM during the 2024 Lok Sabha poll campaign. 

Taking up a challenge to the HC's order, the bench, also comprising Justices K Vinod Chandran and Atul S Chandurkar, told senior advocate Ranjit Kumar, representing the petitioner, that the court is not keen to entertain the petition. 

As Kumar asked the court to hear his arguments, the CJI said he had said it many times before that courts will not be allowed to become a platform for political battles.

Senior advocate A M Singhvi, representing the Telangana CM, said there will be no political discourse if this is defamation. 

“If you are a politician, you should have a strong skin to bear all this," the bench said. The court finally dismissed the plea filed by the Telangana unit of the BJP.

On August 1, Justice K Lakshman of the Telangana High Court quashed a defamation case against Telangana CM. A complaint was filed by Kasam Venkateshwarlu, the Telangana General Secretary for the BJP, concerning remarks made by Reddy during a 2024 Lok Sabha election campaign rally.

It was claimed that during an election meeting in the Bhadradri Kothagudem district, Revanth Reddy made “false and defamatory” statements against the BJP. The complainant claimed the alleged defamatory speech lowered the BJP's reputation as a political party. The complaint alleged that Reddy 'connived' with the Telangana Congress Party to develop a fake and dubious political narrative that the BJP would end reservations if voted to power.

In August last year, a trial court said a prima facie case was made against the chief minister for the alleged offences of defamation under the erstwhile IPC and under Section 125 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. Reddy moved the High Court against the trial court order. He argued that the allegations in the complaint do not make a prima facie case against him.