Bathinda: A Moga court has issued a notice to Rajya Sabha member Swati Maliwal requiring her to appear in court in person or through her counsel on June 10, while providing the parliamentarian an opportunity to be heard under the proviso of Section 223(1) of the BNSS in a defamation case filed by Aam Aadmi Party MLA Amandeep Kaur Arora.On May 19, AAP MLA from Moga, Amandeep Kaur Arora, appeared in the court of Judicial Magistrate First Class at Moga regarding a criminal defamation complaint filed against Rajya Sabha member Swati Maliwal on May 13.The MLA, through her counsel, prayed for issuing a pre-summoning notice to Swati Maliwal in the complaint filed over a social media post made by the Rajya Sabha member, allegedly describing the AAP MLAs in Punjab as “bhed, bakrian” (sheep and goats).After hearing Amandeep Kaur’s counsel, Ajay Pal Singh Bhullar, the court adjourned the matter for consideration.Maliwal, who recently switched allegiance to the BJP, has been a vocal critic of her earlier party – the AAP, its convener Arvind Kejriwal, and Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann.MLA Amandeep Arora said, “Swati Maliwal referred to AAP MLAs in Punjab as ‘sheep and goats’. I filed a criminal defamation complaint against her on May 13 and appeared in the court on May 19, with a prayer for action against Swati Maliwal.”6MSID:: 131353291 413 |
