The Supreme Court on Tuesday quashed a criminal defamation complaint filed against Rashtriya Janata Dal leader and former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav for allegedly referring to Gujaratis as “thugs”, reported Live Law.
The case relates to remarks made by Yadav during a media address in 2022, when he allegedly said: “If today's situation in the country is seen, then only Gujaratis can be thugs and their thuggery will be forgiven.”
Haresh Mehta, vice-president of an Ahmedabad-based volunteer organisation named All India Anti-Corruption and Crime Preventive Council (Gujarat State), filed a complaint accusing Yadav of defaming Gujaratis.
The Supreme Court, while issuing a notice to the complainant on November 6, had stayed further proceedings in the case.
Yadav later filed an affidavit withdrawing his remarks, according to Live Law. Mehta, however, objected to the affidavit, saying that the withdrawal of the remarks was not clear.
The court then asked the Rashtriya Janata Dal leader to file a fresh affidavit.
On Tuesday, a bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan quashed the complaint against Yadav.
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