Court asked why couldn't Arvind Kerjiwal apologize and settle the matter with the policemen. (File photo)
The Delhi High Court today asked Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal why he could not apologise for allegedly using the word "thulla" for police officials when he has been seeking pardon from others like Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
Justice Anu Malhotra said why couldn't the chief minister apologise to police officials and settle the matter. His counsel has said he would seek instructions from Mr Kejriwal on this, following which the court listed the matter for further hearing on May 29.
The court was hearing a plea by Mr Kejriwal seeking quashing of a trial court order summoning him in a criminal defamation complaint filed by a constable.
During the past few weeks, Mr Kejriwal has tendered apology to Mr Jaitley, Bikram Majithia and others for his comments against them.
The court had earlier stayed the trial court order summoning Mr Kejriwal in the defamation complaint filed by Delhi Police constable Anil Kumar Taneja, who had sought dismissal of his petition seeking stay and quashing of the trial court order summoning him.
Opposing the chief minister's plea, the constable in his reply, filed through advocate L N Rao, had alleged that Mr Kejriwal had "crossed all limits of decency" by using the insulting word 'thulla' for a policemen in an interview to a news channel.
Mr Taneja, who had filed the criminal defamation complaint filed on July 23, 2015, had claimed that by using the slang, Mr Kejriwal "has intentionally insulted entire Delhi Police force as a whole and caused unnecessary provocation to the police personnel in Delhi".
The high court in July last had asked Mr Kejriwal to explain the meaning of word 'thulla' he had allegedly used against the policemen while staying the trial court's order.
The word used by Mr Kejriwal is a Hindi word and the high court wanted to know its meaning as it does not exist in the dictionary.
Earlier, Mr Kejriwal's counsel had told the court that the word 'Thulla' was not used against all policemen but against those indulging in wrong practices.