Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who had levelled serious allegations against BJP leader Nitin Gadkari and Congress leader Kapil Sibal's son Amit Sibal during an anti-graft campaign, has tendered unconditional apologies to them leading to judicial burial of two defamation cases against him.
In two separate letters, filed along with joint applications for the closure of defamation complaints, Kejriwal has "regretted" his remarks.
"Both of us are in public life belonging to different political parties. I made certain statements, without regard to its verifiability, which seem to have hurt you and therefore you have filed a defamation case against me. I have nothing personal against you. I regret the same.
"Let us put the incident behind and bring the court proceedings to a closure. I suggest we should put our energy to serve the people of this country in the spirit of mutual respect, " he said in his letter to Gadkari, whom he had allegedly called "India's most corrupt".
Two identical apology letters were also submitted before the court on behalf of Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, accused in the defamation case filed by lawyer Amit Sibal, in which they have said the allegations made by them were "unfounded".
"On May 15, 2013 at a Press Conference at the Constitution Club of India, I made certain statements against you and your father. Now, I have learnt that the allegations I made against you and your father at the press conference were unfounded.
"I hereby withdraw all my statements and allegations made against you and your father and apologise for the same. The damage caused to your esteem, the hurt caused to your family, friends and well-wishers and the loss caused to you is regretted," Kejriwal and Sisodia wrote in separate letters.
Sibal had accused Kejriwal, Sisodia, lawyer Prashant Bhushan and BJP leader Shazia Ilmi of targeting him and his father Kapil Sibal over the Vodafone tax revision case in 2013.
Senior advocate and Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand, who appeared for Gadkari, later said that Kejriwal regretted about what he had said and hence, closing the issue was in the "larger interest of the nation".
"He must understand that defamation is a very strong offence. He should be careful in future," Anand said.
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