Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday tendered an apology to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari following which the two submitted a joint application in Delhi court seeking withdrawal of a defamation case filed by the former. What more, Kejriwal apologised to Congress leader Kapil Sibal also. Kejriwal had alleged in the past that Kapil Sibal had a conflict in seeking to revise a tax demand on telecom major Vodafone. Meanwhile, the AAP supremo opposed Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's defamation case, over the use of an objectionable word by the Chief Minister's former lawyer Ram Jethmalani. Kejriwal claimed before Justice Manmohan that he had never instructed his then counsel to use any scandalous words against Jaitley during recording of his evidence. Last week, the AAP chief had sought forgiveness from Shiromani Akali Dal MLA and general secretary Bikram Singh Majithia for making allegations about his involvement in the drug trade and calling him Punjab's drug lord. Kejriwal's apology letter to Majithia for accusing him of being involved in drugs trade had taken everyone by surprise and had also earned the wrath of the ruling Congress and SAD-BJP leaders. Compounding his trouble, the party's Punjab president Bhagwant Mann and its co-president Aman Arora had recently resigned from their posts in protest against Kejriwal's apology. Of the 20 AAP MLAs from Punjab, 10 lawmakers along with state unit leaders met Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia at his residence here today where Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was also present. The chief minister is said to have given an explanation behind his apology to Majithia. Majithia had slapped a defamation case against Kejriwal and other AAP leaders for accusing the former of drug trade during the 2017 Punjab Assembly polls campaign. Sources say the Delhi chief minister intends to get rid of all 33 defamation cases against him through similar out of court settlements and individual "understandings". The cases have been a drain on the party's money and resources, say AAP leaders. ALSO READ: Kejriwal apologises to Kapil Sibal Here are top 10 developments 1. Delhi court acquits Kejriwal, Sisodia in 2 defamation cases Delhi court on Monday acquitted Arvind Kejriwal in two defamation cases lodged by Nitin Gadkari and Amit Sibal after the AAP chief apologises. Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, co-accused with the CM in a case lodged by Sibal, also got acquitted. अरविंद जी, मेरी सलाह माने तो एक लिस्ट बना लीजिए, बारी-बारी से सबसे माफ़ी माँगने में आसानी होगी। या फिर, एक माफ़ीनामा तैयार करवा लीजिए: “To whosoever it may concern” The application comes after Kejriwal submits a letter regretting making defamatory remarks against Gadkari. Kejriwal Ji & Sisodia ji have accepted that the allegations they had put on me & my son in a press conference few yrs ago were baseless. They've apologised for the same today. He has apologised for what he did everything is forgotten now, we will move ahead: Kapil Sibal, Congress pic.twitter.com/YUGbldNIpm Arvind Kejriwal will certainly have less legal problems when he is done apologising but at what political cost? What will his audience think the next time he levels an allegation against someone?
2. Kejriwal opposes Jaitley's defamation case in HC Arvind Kejriwal on Monday opposed in the Delhi High Court the second Rs 10 crore defamation suit against him by Union Minister Arun Jaitley over the use of an objectionable word by the Chief Minister's former lawyer Ram Jethmalani. Kejriwal claimed before Justice Manmohan that he had never instructed his then counsel to use any scandalous words against Jaitley during recording of his evidence. Jaitley had filed the second defamation suit after Jethmalani allegedly "abused" him in the open court during the proceedings of the original defamation suit he had filed against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief and five other party functionaries. The chief minister, however, maintained that apart from the ground of "absolute privilege, the present suit is also barred by Section 126 of the Indian Evidence Act". ALSO READ: Kejriwal opposes second Rs 10 cr defamation suit in HC 3. Manish Sisodia: Will say sorry to all those we hurt We will apologise to people who we have hurt. We're here to serve the people, we do not have the time to go to courts for such issues. We're here to build schools & hospitals for the welfare of people: Manish Sisodia, AAP on his and Kejriwal's apology to Nitin Gadkari and Kapil Sibal. 4. Kejriwal, Nitin Gadkari withdraw the defamation case Arvind Kejriwal and Nitin Gadkari submit a joint application in Delhi court seeking withdrawal of a defamation case filed by the latter.
6. Kejriwal meets dissenting Punjab AAP MLAs AAP on Sunday sought to pacify its party MLAs from the northern state to avert a split in the state unit. The party's Punjab president Bhagwant Mann and its co-president Aman Arora had recently resigned from their posts in protest against Kejriwal's apology. Of the 20 AAP MLAs from Punjab, 10 lawmakers along with state unit leaders met Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia at his residence here today where Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was also present. The chief minister is said to have given an explanation behind his apology to Majithia.
7. Anna Hazare taunts Kejriwal for apologising Social activist Anna Hazare on Saturday taunted the AAP chief, saying one should not do anything for which one has to tender an apology later on. "Why should one do anything for which one has to tender an apology later on," Anna Hazare told the media. Hazare said that making a mistake and tendering an apology is more or less the same thing. "One should try not to do anything that forces one to tender an apology," he said. 8. Phoolka favours autonomy for AAP Punjab unit, not a split Senior AAP leader H S Phoolka today asked party legislators in Punjab to seek "autonomy" for the state unit rather than forming a separate party "in the best interest" of the state, a day after majority of AAP MLAs contemplated a split. Giving his views for the first time after party chief Arvind Kejriwal's apology to a former minister which pushed the state unit into a crisis, the former leader of opposition in Punjab Assembly and MLA from Dakha also suggested that the state unit should function like a regional party with total independence on state matters. 9. Leader of Opposition and AAP senior leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira said the apology has been condemned said across the party's state unit. "A vast majority of the leaders was of the view why a separate unit of Punjab AAP should not be formed which will have alliance with Lok Insaf Party and also forge alliance with like-minded parties and can even go to the extent of having former Punjab unit convenor Sucha Singh Chhotepur on board..," Khaira said, adding decision on this has been deferred for the time being. Among the decisions taken at the meeting, Kanwar Sandhu said, "We have also decided that future meetings with our leadership from Delhi be held in Chandigarh". On LIP breaking ties with the AAP, Sandhu said, "They too are upset with Kejriwal's decision and said they cannot support him anymore, but they have assured their continued support to the state unit to raise the issues concerning people of Punjab." "Kejriwal may have apologised, but our state unit will continue its fight against drugs," Sandhu said, adding "our stand continues to remain unchanged, we demand that CBI probe drug racket case and if involvement of any political leader is found, that too should be probed by the CBI." To a question, he said that some party MLAs did not attend the second round of meeting in the evening due to some preoccupation, but they are standing by the decisions taken in today's meeting. "If some colleagues did not turn up, this doesn't mean we have fallen apart," he said. AAP Punjab chief Bhagwant Mann, who was away to Delhi, and senior leader H S Phoolka also said they would support whatever decision AAP leaders from Punjab take, said Sandhu. 10. Arun Jaitley could be next on the list: There's another defamation case Kejriwal has to contend with -- the one filed by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. After the chief minister issued his apology to Majithia, the question on many people's mind was whether the AAP supremo would extend a similar apology to Jaitley, too. Now, it appears that he just might. Sources in the AAP have indicated that the party might resort to a similar tactic for dealing with the defamation cases filed by Jaitley against Kejriwal and other AAP leaders, agency reports said. In December 2015, Jaitley had filed a defamation case against Kejriwal and AAP leaders Kumar Vishwas, Ashutosh, Sanjay Singh, Raghav Chadha, and Deepak Bajpayee. Jaitley had claimed that Kejriwal and others made 'false and defamatory' statements in a case involving the Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) and in the process harmed his reputation. The finance minister sought Rs 100 million (Rs 10 crore) in damages.
Kejriwal says sorry to Gadkari, Sibal, Majithia; 30 more apologies coming
Arvind Kejriwal and Nitin Gadkari submit a joint application in Delhi court seeking withdrawal of a defamation case filed by the latter
BS Web Team |
Arvind Kejriwal Photo: PTI
First Published: Mon, March 19 2018. 19:43 IST
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