Nirmala Sitharaman Tells Delhi Court
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Nirmala Sitharaman argues AAP leader Somnath Bharti can’t legally appear for his wife in her defamation complaint. Court told it’s a conflict of interest since Bharti is directly affected.
New Delhi: Today, on June 26, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has informed a Delhi court that Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Somnath Bharti cannot legally represent his wife, Lipika Mitra, in a defamation case filed by her, due to what she called a
“conflict of interest”
Lipika Mitra has filed a criminal complaint against Sitharaman, accusing the Union Minister of making defamatory remarks during a press conference on May 17, 2024.
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The complaint claims that these statements were false and intended to damage her husband’s image and reduce his chances of winning the Lok Sabha elections in 2024.
Sitharaman’s lawyer told the court that Bharti cannot be part of the case as a lawyer because the allegations in the complaint are linked to defamatory comments that allegedly harmed Bharti himself.
Since he is personally affected, his role as a legal representative of the complainant (his wife) creates a conflict.
The lawyer said,
“The cosmopolitan life of Bangalore is very alluring. The other areas of Karnataka are also developed. You are a privileged class of society.”
The counsel further argued that Bharti “cannot appear in his own case” and demanded that he should “withdraw his vakalatnama” — the legal document authorizing him to appear in court on someone else’s behalf.
The counsel added that if he fails to do so, then
“a reference ought to be made to the Bar Council of India for initiation of disciplinary proceedings against him.”
Following these arguments, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Paras Dalal granted Bharti time to respond and posted the matter for further hearing on July 16.
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Bharti had requested additional time to present his arguments against the application filed by Sitharaman.
The complaint filed by Lipika Mitra alleges that the minister made
“defamatory, false, and malicious statements” at the press conference with “the sole intention to tarnish the reputation of Bharti and weaken his chances of winning in general elections.”
The judge, while taking up the matter, had earlier on May 19 issued a notice to Finance Minister Sitharaman.
The court stated that
“the proposed accused is to be given opportunity of being heard.”
The court further observed that a
“fresh case for making and publishing defamatory, derogatory and libelous remarks in print and electronic media against the complainant [Lipika Mitra]”
had been received through the regular assignment system.
The judge ordered:
“It be checked and registered.”
According to Lipika Mitra’s complaint, Sitharaman had allegedly spoken publicly about her past marital issues with Somnath Bharti during the press conference, but intentionally avoided mentioning that the couple had reunited and are now living together peacefully.
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The complaint says the minister’s comments were
“solely with an intent to hurt the complainant and her husband”
and gain political advantage for the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) candidate by causing
“political loss to the complainant’s husband during 2024 Lok Sabha election.”
Background of the Case
The defamation case arose from a press conference held by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on May 17, 2024, during the 2024 Lok Sabha election campaign. In this conference, Sitharaman allegedly made certain remarks that, according to the complainant, were false, defamatory, and intended to harm the public image of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Somnath Bharti.
Following this, Bharti’s wife, Lipika Mitra, filed a criminal complaint before a Delhi court accusing Sitharaman of making derogatory and libelous statements.
The complaint claims the minister’s comments referred to personal matters involving Mitra and Bharti, particularly their past marital issues, while deliberately ignoring the fact that they had since reconciled and were living together.
Mitra alleged that Sitharaman’s statements were not only defamatory but were made with the intention to harm Bharti’s political prospects during the general elections and to benefit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate.
She asserted that the minister’s remarks were driven by political motives and aimed at damaging Bharti’s reputation in both public and political spheres.
As the case proceeded, Somnath Bharti attempted to represent his wife as her legal counsel. However, Sitharaman’s legal team objected, citing a conflict of interest — arguing that since the alleged defamation directly concerned Bharti himself, he could not act as his wife’s lawyer.
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They asked the court to either have Bharti withdraw his vakalatnama (authorization to appear on behalf of a party) or refer the matter to the Bar Council of India for possible disciplinary action.
The court is currently considering this objection, and the matter has been adjourned to July 16, 2025, for further hearing.
Case Title:
Lipika Mitra v. Nirmala Sitharaman
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