The Delhi High Court on Tuesday issued summons to former Finance Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg and Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra in a defamation suit filed by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey over remarks and social media posts referring to him as a “blackmailer” and a person with a “fake degree”. Nishikant Dubey has sought ₹2 crore in damages, along with permanent and mandatory injunctions, an apology and removal of the allegedly defamatory content.

Justice Tushar Rao Gedela recorded Mahua Moitra’s statement that she would remove her social media post referring to Nishikant Dubey as a “fake degree kism ke aadmi”. Subhash Garg’s counsel, meanwhile, submitted that a request would be made to the podcaster to mute the portion of the video in which Dubey was described as a “blackmailing kind of person”.

Objecting to the use of the word “blackmailer”, the Court remarked that the expression was “intemperate” and “absolutely derogatory”. The Court also remarked that the remaining comments were debatable and did not appear to contain anything similarly intemperate. Subhash Garg’s counsel said the former bureaucrat was discussing GDP figures during the podcast and referred to his alleged interaction with Nishikant Dubey only after the latter had made personal remarks against him.

Subhash Garg has been sued over comments allegedly made during a podcast in which he described Dubey as a “blackmailing kind of person” and claimed that the BJP MP had approached him in 2018 seeking his intervention in a matter concerning the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC). The petitioner has denied visiting Garg’s office and has alleged that the remarks were false and defamatory.

Mahua Moitra had shared the video on X and referred to him as a “fake degree kism ke aadmi”. During Tuesday’s hearing, her counsel said she would remove the post, while retaining the right to question Dubey’s educational qualifications.

The Court recorded the statements made on behalf of Mahua Moitra and Subhash Garg.