A Delhi court has issued summons to popular YouTuber Dhruv Rathee in connection with a defamation lawsuit originating from 2018. Following a court directive, personnel from both the Delhi Police and Gurugram Police pasted a legal notice at Rathee's residence, directing him to appear and join the ongoing investigation.
The case stems from a video published by Rathee in which he allegedly accused a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party of paying money to defame him. The application prompting the summons was brought before the Saket Court upon his return to India.
Separately, political tensions escalated as Union ministers, including Rajnath Singh, Kiren Rijiju, and Piyush Goyal, launched sharp criticisms against the political opposition. The remarks followed controversial statements regarding protests and regime change made by activist Neha Bora and senior advocate Prashant Bhushan, with the BJP targeting opposition figures Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra after visuals surfaced showing them alongside the activists.
Union ministers argued that democratic rights do not serve as a license to spread anarchy and accused certain opposition elements of acting against national interests. In response, senior Congress leader and former Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister TS Singh Deo rejected the allegations of lawlessness, maintaining that the demonstrations were peaceful, dignified, and intended to protect constitutional institutions.
Singh Deo further clarified that any references to regime change strictly denoted lawful democratic methods through the ballot box, firmly dismissing comparisons to the violent uprisings observed in countries like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Meanwhile, authorities implemented heavy security measures, deploying central forces around Connaught Place under Section 163 of the BNSS ahead of a planned rally and warning of strict punitive action against unauthorized demonstrations.