Swati Maliwal appears through counsel in defamation case filed by Moga AAP MLA

Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal on Wednesday appeared through her legal representatives before a local court in Moga in connection with a criminal defamation complaint filed by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Dr Amandeep Kaur Arora.

Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMIC) Ashima Sharma recorded the appearance of Maliwal's counsel and adjourned the matter until July 10.

The proceedings were held in response to a pre-cognisance notice issued to Maliwal last month. While complainant Dr Amandeep Kaur Arora, the AAP MLA from Moga, was present in court, Maliwal exercised her legal right to appear through counsel. Advocates Kulwinder Sharma and HS Oberoi represented her and submitted a formal memo of appearance before the court.

On May 25, the court had issued a pre-cognisance notice to Maliwal under Section 223(1) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which requires that an accused be given an opportunity to be heard before a court takes cognisance of an alleged offence. The notice permitted Maliwal to appear either personally or through legal representation on June 10.

The defamation complaint stems from a social media post allegedly made by Maliwal following her public fallout with the AAP leadership. In the post, she reportedly referred to Punjab's AAP legislators as "bhed-bakri", a remark that sparked criticism within the party.

Taking exception to the statement, Dr Arora, who is also the State President of the AAP Women's Wing, filed a criminal defamation complaint on May 13. She subsequently recorded her statement before the court on May 19, contending that the remarks had harmed the reputation and dignity of elected representatives.

Speaking outside the court, Dr Arora said the comments were insulting and demeaned public representatives elected by the people.

"We are not sheep and goats; we are educated individuals representing more than 1.5 lakh citizens. Many of our legislators are doctors, lawyers and academics. Such language lowers the standard of political discourse," she said.

Maliwal, a former chairperson of the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) and once a prominent AAP leader, has been at odds with the party leadership since an alleged assault incident at the Delhi Chief Minister's residence. Since then, she has emerged as a vocal critic of AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. She later joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).