New Delhi : RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav’s alleged statement that “only Gujaratis can be thugs” was quashed by the Supreme Court today, despite Yadav’s agreement to retract it.

The former deputy chief minister of Bihar was granted relief by a bench consisting of Justices AS Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan in response to his request to move the defamation trial outside of Gujarat.

“Given that the petitioner withdrew his statement from the record, we have dismissed the case. disposed of accordingly,” the bench declared.

The top court on February 5 had reserved its order on a plea filed by Mr Yadav seeking transfer of the criminal defamation complaint pending against him in a Ahmedabad court over his alleged “only Gujaratis can be thugs” remark to a place outside the state, preferably Delhi.

The top court on January 29 had directed Mr Yadav to file a “proper statement” withdrawing his alleged remark that “only Gujaratis can be thugs”.

On January 19, Mr. Yadav withdrew his purported remark about “Gujarati thugs” and filed an affidavit with the top court.

Prior to considering the RJD leader’s plea, the top court had halted the criminal defamation case’s proceedings and sent notice to the Gujarati citizen who had filed it.

A criminal defamation complaint was filed against Mr. Yadav.

A local businessman and activist named Haresh Mehta filed a complaint, and the Gujarat court used section 202 of the Code of Criminal Procedure to conduct a preliminary inquiry against Mr. Yadav in August. Based on the inquiry, the court found sufficient grounds to summon Mr. Yadav.

According to the complaint, Mr Yadav, while talking to the media in Patna in March 2023, had said, “Only Gujaratis can be thugs in the present situation, and their fraud will be forgiven.”

“Who will be responsible if they run away with the money belonging to the LIC or banks?” the then Bihar deputy chief minister had allegedly said.

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