The Delhi High Court has summoned Uddhav Thackeray, Aaditya Thackeray and Sanjay Raut on a civil defamation suit filed by Eknath Shinde faction leader Rahul Shewale for their statements against Shinde faction in relation with the party symbol.
Justice Prateek Jalan declined to pass any interim order restraining the Thackerays and Raut from making any statements, saying no interim order can be passed without hearing the defendants.
The Judge said that he does not want to pass a gag order on day one, an injunction against free speech in a political fight.
It was Shewale, the floor leader of Shiv Sena in the Lok Sabha, who moved to Court alleging that Raut had said that there was a deal of Rs 2,000 crore, following which the Shiv Sena name and bow and arrow symbol was allotted to the Eknath Shinde faction by the Election Commission by a recent order.
Senior Advocate Rajiv Nayar appeared for Shewale requested the court to pass an order to injunct Thackerays and Raut from making any further defamatory allegations.
However, the Court said that these are matters falling within political arena and it will pass orders only after hearing the defendants.
Nayar said that the defendants have made allegations against institutions like the Election Commission.
The Court responded by saying that institutions will have to stand up for themselves.
Nayar argued that the allegations are without any basis and should shock the conscience of the court, to which the judge sad that the question is not whether allegations conscience or not.
Justice Jalan added that the question is, in a free market place of ideas, are people entitled to say things which shock my conscience
The judge, however, also clarified that he was not condoning the language used or the allegations made.
He added that he does not want to pass a gag order in a political fight without hearing the other side.