Supreme Court extends stay on defamation case against Shashi Tharoor over "scorpion" remark

The Supreme Court on Monday extended by four weeks the stay on the defamation trial against Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, related to his controversial "scorpion on a Shivling" remark, which allegedly targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The defamation case was filed by BJP leader Rajiv Babbar, who claimed the remark hurt his religious sentiments.

A bench consisting of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and SVN Bhatti granted Delhi police and Babbar four weeks to submit their responses to Tharoor's plea challenging the defamation proceedings. The court also directed that the interim order staying the trial would remain in effect during this period.

The defamation case stems from a statement made by Tharoor in October 2018, where he cited an unnamed RSS leader's metaphor comparing Modi to "a scorpion sitting on a Shivling," which Tharoor described as "extraordinarily striking." Babbar filed a complaint against Tharoor, leading to the Congress leader's summons as an accused by the trial court in April 2019.

Tharoor had appealed the trial court's decision and sought the quashing of the defamation proceedings. While the Delhi High Court refused to dismiss the case in August 2023, Tharoor then approached the Supreme Court, which issued a stay on the trial in September. The issue of whether the complainant, Babbar, can be considered an aggrieved party in the case remains a key question. The Supreme Court will review the responses from both parties in the coming weeks.