Tejashwi Yadav, a prominent leader of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Bihar's Deputy Chief Minister, has filed an affidavit with the Supreme Court, announcing the withdrawal of controversial remarks he made about Gujaratis. The statements in question were part of a media address on March 22, 2023, where Yadav allegedly remarked, "Gujarati hi thag hai ho sakta hai (only Gujaratis can be cheats)."

Yadav's move to withdraw the contentious remarks came in the context of a criminal defamation case filed against him in Ahmedabad. Seeking a transfer of the case to a neutral venue, Yadav's affidavit prompted a response from a bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan. The bench questioned the necessity of prosecution since Yadav had formally withdrawn the remarks.

"The statement is very clear now, make up your mind now why you want to prosecute the complaint?" the bench asked Haresh Mehta, the complainant's lawyer, who sought time to gather instructions. The justices pointed out that Yadav had specifically withdrawn the part of the statement containing the controversial expressions, leaving the court to ponder the remaining grounds for prosecution.

Using its inherent discretionary powers under Article 142 of the Constitution, the bench indicated its willingness to quash the prosecution of Tejashwi Yadav in the defamation case. The court granted a week's time to the respondent's counsel to seek instructions from the client based on the statement filed by the petitioner on January 19, 2024. The matter is scheduled for the next hearing on January 29.

In an earlier development on November 6, the court had issued notice on Yadav's transfer petition, leading to a stay on the proceedings in the criminal defamation case. The complaint against Yadav was filed by Haresh Mehta, the vice-president of the All India Anti-Corruption and Crime Preventive Council (Gujarat State), a voluntary organization based in Ahmedabad. The charges were brought under sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code.

Case: TEJASHWI PRASAD YADAV vs. HARESHBHAI PRANSHANKAR MEHTA.