Remove ‘objectionable’ posts on BJP MP Raghav Chadha: Delhi HC

3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Jul 1, 2026 11:31 AM IST

Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha. (Photo: Instagram/ @raghavchadha88)

The Delhi High Court Wednesday ruled that “no personality rights are involved” in a suit by BJP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha who had objected to alleged defamatory content against him.

Chadha, who had led an exodus of seven MPs of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to the BJP on April 24, triggering fierce criticism from the AAP, including attacks and name-calling on social media. He had objected to posts on social media alleging that he had “sold himself for money”.

Justice Subramonium Prasad, pronouncing the decision on open court, said “no personality rights are involved”. Justice Prasad said that the court in its order has, however, ordered removal of few of the posts that were flagged as objectionable by Chadha. A detailed order is awaited.

It’s criticism: What court said earlier

Earlier in May, the court had expressed orally that Chadha’s grievance lies more in the domain of defamation even as his suit was seeking protection for his “personality rights”.

The court had orally observed that the said posts Chadha had objected to, appeared to be a “criticism of decisions taken by him (Chadha) in the political arena”.

In his plea, the MP had also sought interim relief from the court for the alleged defamatory or objectionable posts that he had flagged, arguing, “The story which has gone is that I (Chadha) have traded for money. That can’t be criticism.”

The court at the time refrained from immediately injuncting the said posts and content and had said orally, “There is a difference between commercialisation of personality rights and criticism.”

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Justice Prasad had reserved the plea for orders on the aspect of interim relief in May.

Chadha had sought the court’s relief against various entities who allegedly exploited his likeness, and sought takedown of AI-generated and deepfake content allegedly circulating against him.

In recent years, the Delhi HC has seen a flurry of suits by celebrities, social media influencers, sports personalities, and politicians such as Shashi Tharoor, seeking the protection of their personality rights.

Sohini Ghosh is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express. Previously based in Ahmedabad covering Gujarat, she recently moved to the New Delhi bureau, where she primarily covers legal developments at the Delhi High Court

Professional Profile

Background: An alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), she previously worked with ET NOW before joining The Indian Express.

Core Beats: Her reporting is currently centered on the Delhi High Court, with a focus on high-profile constitutional disputes, disputes over intellectual property, criminal and civil cases, issues of human rights and regulatory law (especially in the areas of technology and healthcare).

Earlier Specialty: In Gujarat, she was known for her rigorous coverage in the beats of crime, law and policy, and social justice issues, including the 2002 riot cases, 2008 serial bomb blast case, 2016 flogging of Dalits in Una, among others.

She has extensively covered health in the state, including being part of the team that revealed the segregation of wards at the state’s largest government hospital on lines of faith in April 2020.

With Ahmedabad being a UNESCO heritage city, she has widely covered urban development and heritage issues, including the redevelopment of the Sabarmati Ashram

Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)

Her recent reporting from the Delhi High Court covers major political, constitutional, corporate, and public-interest legal battles:

High-Profile Case Coverage

She has extensively covered the various legal battles - including for compensation under the aegis of North East Delhi Riots Claims Commission - pertaining to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, as well as 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

She has also led coverage at the intersection of technology and governance, and its impact on the citizenry, from, and beyond courtrooms — such as the government’s stakeholder consultations for framing AI-Deepfake policy.

Signature Style

Sohini is recognized for her sustained reporting from courtrooms and beyond. She specialises in breaking down dense legal arguments to make legalese accessible for readers. Her transition from Gujarat to Delhi has seen her expand her coverage on regulatory, corporate and intellectual property law, while maintaining a strong commitment to human rights and lacuna in the criminal justice system.

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