Won’t repeat until further orders, says outfit which accused Newslaundry of backing ‘separatism’

Kerala-based digital outfit Karma News on Thursday told the Delhi High Court that it will not repeat its allegations accusing Newslaundry and Josy Joseph’s Confluence Media of separatist propaganda, anti-national activities and being part of a larger terrorist movement until further orders.

The court was hearing a defamation suit filed by Newslaundry and Confluence Media, which seeks Rs 2 crore in damages, a mandatory injunction, and an apology from Karma News over its campaign in the wake of the first Cutting South media event in Kochi in March. The two media organisations, along with The News Minute, had partnered with the Kerala Media Academy for the event.

However, Karma News accused the organisers of intending “to separate the country and divide India into North and South creating a United States of India or South India”, according to the petition filed through advocates Uddav Khanna and Krishan Kumar. It also accused them of being Khalistani terrorists and links to the banned Popular Front of India. It said the “event is a program of a larger terrorist movement and an anti-national movement of the people who are trying to divide the country, according to the petition.

Newslaundry and Confluence Media argued that the name “Cutting South 2023” does not imply their intention to divide but is coined from “Cutting Chai”, which comes from the phrase “cutting edge” and also implies a tea with added flavours aimed at conveying a sense of nostalgia, familiarity, truth and comfort.

The Delhi High Court has issued a notice to Karma News as well as YouTube, asking them to submit their response within 30 days. The matter will now be heard in August.

When the matter came up for hearing before a bench of Justice Manoj Kumar Ohri, the counsel for Karma News claimed that it was not the only platform with such coverage and the same had been reported by Janmabhumi. The outfit later said it will not repeat the allegations until further orders till the next date of hearing.

“Issue notice. Let the plaint be registered as a suit,” the court said.

The plaintiffs were represented in court by advocate Bani Dikshit.