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BJP MP Nishikant Dubey. File
| Photo Credit: ANI
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday (October 27, 2026) asked former finance secretary Subhash Garg to have certain allegedly derogatory remarks against BJP MP Nishikant Dubey muted or beeped out of a podcast.
TMC MP Mahua Moitra’s counsel also assured that she would remove certain related allegedly defamatory posts on ‘X’.
Justice Tushar Rao Gedela issued summons to Mr. Garg and Ms. Moitra in Mr. Dubey’s defamation lawsuit seeking permanent injunction against them from casting aspersions on him, an apology and damages of ₹2 crore, and asked them to file their replies.
Even as the counsel for the defendants sought time to file a response, claiming that the lawsuit “did not paint the correct picture”, the court asked if they could restrain themselves from further disseminating the content in the meantime.
The court emphasised that it was aware that both the plaintiff and the former finance secretary were persons of repute and the latter should not have used an “intemperate word” in the podcast.
“You cannot use a word like this. Suppose someone said …[that to you] will you take that lightly? … You cannot use the word. It is absolutely derogatory. You cannot call anybody by that name. Rest of the things it is debatable issue,” the court orally observed during the hearing.
After taking instructions, Mr. Garg’s counsel assured that he would contact the podcast host to mute certain allegedly defamatory phrases in the podcast.
The BJP leader has alleged that Mr. Garg, in a podcast/interview, made false and malicious imputations against him on September 17, which was published and circulated to the public on YouTube, Facebook and other digital platforms.
Published – October 27, 2026 03:54 pm IST
