PM Modi Degree Row: Setback To Arvind Kejriwal, Sanjay Singh As Gujarat High Court Gives Green Flag To Trials In Defamation Case

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Sanjay Singh had sought quashing of the summons issued by an Ahmedabad magistrate court. However, their pleas were dismissed by the Gujarat High Court on Friday (16 February).

The summons are related to a defamation case, in which the AAP leaders are accused of targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his degree. The case was filed by Gujarat University.

While dismissing the pleas, Justice HD Suthar asked the AAP leaders to present their case before the magistrate court during the trial, instead of asking the quashing of summons on those grounds.

In January, the Supreme Court granted relief to the two leaders by staying the trial proceedings until 16 February and asked the Gujarat High Court to decide on their petitions by this time, Indian Express reported.

With Gujarat HC's decision, the trial is set to commence. Earlier, in November 2023, the court dismissed a plea by Arvind Kejriwal challenging the correctness of the 31 March judgment.

This judgment stated that Gujarat University was not obligated to provide information about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's academic degree. Kejriwal was fined Rs 25,000 for making a mockery of the RTI Act.

Kejriwal is accused of making defamatory statements at a press conference on 1 April and Singh on 2 April after this judgment, which set aside the Central Information Commission (CIC) order directing the furnishing of PM's degree details.