Chadha, who has exited the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to join the BJP, earlier filed a lawsuit in the high court against the publication of alleged malicious and fabricated social media posts that, he said, were gravely prejudicial to his reputation and personality rights.
In the interim order, Justice Prasad said that while some of the content flagged in the plea reeked of malice and they maligned Chadha’s reputation, the “majority” appeared to be “satirical expressions of the plaintiff’s decisions in the political sphere”.
The court observed that certain posts in question contained explicit, profane and vulgar content, which fell outside the purview of “harmless satirical humour”, and directed the social media platforms to take down their links within two weeks till further orders.
In the 19-page order, Justice Prasad asserted that political decisions are “likely to attract both bouquets and brickbats” and humour over change in political party alliances and the like is a part and parcel of politics.
“Any action by a politician belonging to any political party will, in most, if not all circumstances, invite criticism from, upset, or create turmoil amongst, the general public or members from rival political parties, which may at times be expressed in the form of satirical humour.
However, that does not automatically make such content offensive or defamatory,” the order said.
“Public figures assuming such positions of power must accept being at the receiving end of the satirical humour as a necessary and inevitable aspect of their profession, though unpleasant,” it added.
In the order, the court also opined that prima facie, the lawsuit did not pertain to protection of Chadha’s personality rights, which entails one’s right to control and protect the exploitation of one’s image, name, and the like, and consequent commercial gains.
