The Saket Court of Delhi has summoned YouTuber Dhruv Rathee in a defamation lawsuit initiated by Suresh Karamshi Nakhua, a spokesperson for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Mumbai. Nakhua alleged that Rathee referred to him as a “violent and abusive troll” in a video posted on YouTube.
District Judge Gunjan Gupta issued the summons on 19 July 2024, setting the hearing for 6 August 2024. The court has also issued notices to the social media intermediaries involved. Nakhua is represented by advocates Raghav Awasthi and Mukesh Sharma.
Delhi court issues summons to YouTuber Dhruv Rathee in a defamation case filed by BJP leader Suresh Nakhua after Rathee allegedly called him a “violent and abusive” troll.@dhruv_rathee @SureshNakhua #Defamation pic.twitter.com/J1pvk8OtuA
— Bar and Bench (@barandbench) July 24, 2024
The controversy centres around a video titled “My Reply to Godi Youtubers | Elvish Yadav | Dhruv Rathee,” uploaded by Rathee and garnering over one crore views. In the video, Rathee claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had hosted individuals like Ankit Jain, Suresh Nakhua, and Tajinder Bagga at his residence, labelling them as violent and abusive trolls.
Nakhua’s lawsuit contends that Rathee’s statements are defamatory and have severely damaged his reputation, causing widespread condemnation and ridicule. The BJP leader described the video as highly provocative and incendiary, arguing that it spread rapidly across digital platforms and made unsubstantiated claims to link him to troll activities.
Nakhua further asserted that the defamatory content has tarnished his social standing and planted suspicion and mistrust, potentially leading to long-lasting reputational damage.
(With inputs from Live Mint)
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