BJP's Amit Malviya Sues Samajwadi Party for Defamation Over Tweet

Amit Malviya, BJP IT Cell head, files defamation suit against Samajwadi Party and its media cell over a tweet alleging sexual misconduct. The tweet garnered significant views and interactions, severely impacting Malviya's reputation. The court is yet to issue an order on the plea for content removal.

Amit Malviya, the head of the BJP's IT Cell, approached the Delhi High Court on Friday regarding a tweet from the Samajwadi Party's Media Cell on X Corp (formerly Twitter), alleging sexual misconduct. Malviya has sued both the Samajwadi Party and its media cell for defamation. According to Malviya's lawyers, the tweet, which was posted on August 8, was "defamatory" and "utterly scandalous," causing significant harm to his reputation.

The lawsuit claims that the defamatory tweet has been viewed by 55,300 users and was reposted 724 times, with 1,652 likes, exacerbating the damage to Malviya's reputation. Consequently, Malviya is seeking both a mandatory and permanent injunction, along with damages, from the court due to the adverse impact of the defamatory statement.

Justice Vikas Mahajan, after hearing the senior lawyers representing Amit Malviya, indicated he would issue an order on the plea. Malviya's counsel stressed the urgency of removing the tweet, noting that it receives 5,000 to 10,000 views daily. Senior Advocate Arvind Nayar, representing Malviya, sought an interim order to remove the offending content. The suit was filed through Advocate Surjendu Sankar Das, with additional representation by Senior Advocate Nalin Kohli, a Supreme Court advocate and BJP national spokesperson.

The dispute began after rape allegations were made against SP leader Moeed Khan and another individual named Raju Khan in Ayodhya. SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav responded by calling for a DNA test and appropriate punishment for the guilty. On the same day, Malviya questioned Yadav's tweet. In response, the SP Media Cell posted a tweet with photos of BJP leaders with individuals accused or convicted of rape, including allegations against Malviya.

The images featured Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Asaram Bapu (convicted of rape) and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath with Swami Chinmayanand (accused of rape). The tweet also alleged that Malviya invited women to his hotel and had illicit relationships with men.