On Tuesday, the Supreme Court stayed the trial court proceedings in the defamation case against Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, who is accused of defaming Prime Minister Narendra Modi by comparing him to a scorpion [Shashi Tharoor v State of NCT of Delhi and anr].
Justices Hrishikesh Roy and R. Mahadevan observed that Tharoor’s statement was not original but echoed a metaphor from a 2012 Caravan magazine article. The Court questioned the defamation claim, suggesting that the remark was metaphorical and related to Modi’s perceived invincibility.
The Court issued notices to both the complainant BJP leader and the Delhi government, staying all related proceedings until further notice. “Issue notice. Returnable in four weeks. Further proceedings in pursuance to the impugned judgment are stayed until further orders,” the Court directed.