by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group
Is Shah Repenting filing Rs 100 cr. defamation case ?
BJP president Amit Shah may be rueing the day he decided to sue the news portal (thewire.in) for Rs 100 crores. At the hindsight, a feeling has crept in that he should have ignored it as the website made hardly any serious allegation of corruption per se against his son. It only published what was available in public domain and the website only collated information. A strong point-by-point denial by Jay Shah and his lawyers would have suffice. But fielding a Union Minister Piyush Goyal to deny charges (mind you; there were no charges) and declare filing defamation case of Rs 100 crores. It is now felt that the whole thing was avoidable. The case related to Jay Shah and party should have officially nothing to do with it. It will drag party also in the court as the party would have to prove it has been defamed. The fact that Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh took full three days to react and most of the senior ministers kept quiet is an indication that second thoughts crept in. It transpires that Amit Shah consulted only Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley who deputed his erstwhile junior lawyer Manish Dogra to send notice to the website on behalf of Jay Shah. Jaitley may come to the fore after his return from the USA. But many in the party feel that the case should have been fought politically.
Who leaked “Shah Zada” story ?
The Capital is agog with all kinds of stories as to who leaked the juicy details of small time company of Jay Shah becoming big in turn over and diversifying into Solar business and then taking subsidy from the power ministry. One speculation is that Amit Shah's detractors within the party in Delhi helped out in carrying out research and investigation. Another source attributed it to a former Chief Minister Anandiben Patel who does not see eye-to-eye with Amit Shah. There is no dearth of people in Gandhinagar who are after Amit Shah's blood within his own party. However, sources close to Amit Shah deny that it was an insider's job as its not a story at all. They believe it was done at the instance of the “secular forces” who want oxygen at any cost.
Pay Rs 75000, file Rs 100 crore case
Do you know how much is the court fee to file a defamation case against a person to file defamation case to the tune of Rs 100 crores in Gujrat ? Top lawyers tell me that in Gujrat the fee for civil cases of such nature is just Rs 75000. There is cap under the law to charge court fee. while in Delhi, the fee is astonishingly high. Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had to deposit a whopping court fee of Rs 10 lakhs to file Rs ten crores defamation case against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Sources say that the fee was high earlier in Gujrat too. But it was brought down a couple of years ago.
Nitin Gadkari has reasons to grumble
Road Transport, Shipping & Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari has reasons to be upset. At least his supporters are extremely angry. Though Gadkari is keeping his mouth shut,his supporters feel that he was wronged in 2012 when he was made to resign from BJP president's post. He had to quit merely because the then Finance Minister, P Chidambaram sent an Income Tax officer to probe a case against the Purti group. Gadkari was made to quit merely because an IT officer knocked at the door of his office. Its a different matter that Gadkari was given the clean chit in the case by the UPA government itself in the case. But in the instant case the family friends and companies helped the son of BJP chief and no questions are being raised. Rather, a minister was deputed to defend the son. Why two parameters ? Gadkari supporters grumble. It is however pointed out that in the Gadkari case, the IT officer knocked at the door for a roving inquiry. In the Shah case, it was a handiwork of party's detractors. Understand it right.
Advani gets his lifeline back
The presence of veteran BJP leader L K Advani at the Dussehra day speech of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat at Nagpur may have raised many an eyebrows. It was speculated in the media that Advani went to Nagpur without an invitation etc etc. However, it has now emerged that the RSS leadership invited him and gave him a rousing reception at the airport when he landed with his daughter Pratibha Advani and private secretary deepak chopra the previous night. He also a prolonged meeting with the top RSS leadership including Mr Bhagwat after the speech. Bhagwat's speech rattled the BJP leadership in Delhi is no secret. But political analysts wonder if there is any significance as the critical speech was made in the presence of veteran Advani ? After all, the RSS has reasons to be unhappy as the BJP leadership didn't heed to its advice to make Dr Murli Manohar Joshi party candidate for the post of President. The BJP opted for Ram Nath Kovind.
Guess how cases are dug out !
The Delhi Police has dug out an eve teasing case from the archives after several years against the son of a Constitutional authority after he demitted office. Though the Delhi Police had to register an FIR of eve teasing as existing laws are very strict. But the case never progressed even after the UPA government lost power. Delhi Police dug out the copy of an old FIR and wants to take the case to its logical conclusion. However, the constitutional dignitary is unfazed even after retirement recently saying that it has no meat in it and complaint is bogus. The matter has now been referred to the Union Home Ministry as Delhi Police is under it.
