Shashwati Chowdhury
Published on: September 4, 2022 at 20:27 IST
Jairam Ramesh, Pawan Khera and Netta D’Souza, known Congress leaders have mentioned to the Delhi High Court that Smriti Irani and her family “cannot turn around when someone else relies on those very assertions to ask legitimate questions” when they have made “repeated assertions” of ownership of the restaurant known to be Silly Souls Café and Bar, located in Goa.
The Union Minister has filed a civil defamation suit against Congress leaders, seeking Rs. 2 Crore in damages for making baseless allegations about her and her daughter regarding the Silly Souls Café. This was a response to the defamation suit.
Calling it “unilateral and unprovoked claims” put forth by the Irani’s family and “endorsed by her”, the leaders have stated that there are almost three documented instances of such claims and endorsements which are “conspicuously absent” from the Irani’s submissions to the suit.
The reply also mentioned that the statements were made in the public interest to make fair comments and question the Union Minister on her connections with the Café.
The subject matter of the suit pertains to various allegations made in a press conference by the Congress leaders and other series of allegations against Irani and her daughter regarding a statutory license in respect of food and beverage operations at a restaurant named Silly Souls Cafe and Bar, located in Goa.
On July 29, the Delhi High Court had issued summons to the Congress leaders directing them to delete the allegations made by them during a press conference from all social media platforms.
The Court had also rendered a finding that there was no license ever issued in favour of Irani or her daughter in connection with the restaurant.
In this backdrop, the reply filed by the Congress Leaders states that Irani had obtained the said order on the basis of “suppressions and egregious misrepresentation”.
The reply further adds that Irani cannot claim a blanket immunity from questions regarding probity in her personal dealings and that the Congress leaders are not only entitled but duty bound to raise issues of public importance regardless of the office held by the individual from whom the answers are sought.
Advocates Omar Hoda and Eesha Bakshi are through whom the written statement has been filed. The suit has been filed seeking mandatory and permanent injunction against the Congress leaders, to take down and delete various false and defamatory allegations against Irani and also from levelling false allegations against Irani and also from levelling false allegations against her.
The suit sought an ex-parte interim temporary injunction directing social media platforms, Twitter, YouTube, and Meta, to take down or remove the allegations against Irani and also from levelling false allegations against her.
The suit sought an ex-parte interim temporary injunction directing social media platforms, Twitter, YouTube, and Meta, to take down or remove the allegations against Irani, the video of the Press Conference, and the content linked to the same.
It also sought directions on social media platforms to take down or remove the videos, posts, tweets, and re-tweets along with morphed pictures of Irani and her daughter.