Delhi, 1 August (H.S.): The Supreme Court has prolonged the stay on the trial court proceedings concerning Congress MP Shashi Tharoor's controversial statement likening Prime Minister Narendra Modi to a scorpion on a Shivling. A bench led by Justice MM Sundresh suggested the petitioner's lawyer seek an amicable resolution during the hearing, noting that public figures should have tougher skins and should not take offense easily. Following a denial of relief from the Delhi High Court, Tharoor escalated the matter to the Supreme Court after the High Court declined to halt the trial proceedings on August 29, 2024.

The Rouse Avenue Court initially took notice of the issue on November 16, 2018, and issued a summons to Tharoor on April 27, 2019, with bail granted on June 7, 2019. Tharoor's counsel, Kapil Sibal, argued for a stay on the ongoing trial, deeming the petition from BJP leader Rajiv Babbar—who claimed Tharoor's comments offended millions of Shiva devotees—as baseless.

Babbar's petition seeks action against Tharoor under Sections 499 and 500 of the IPC, emphasizing the emotional impact of Tharoor's statements made during the Bangalore Literature Festival.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar