'Pat the back of an alleged rapist': Manish Tewari, Priyanka Chaturvedi fight on Twitter over Tarun Tejpal case
Priyanka Chaturvedi wrote she has the freedom to express her opinion on Twitter as much as Manish Tewari has the right to ‘pat the back of an alleged rapist’.
Congress leader Manish Tewari and Shiv Sena leader Priyanka Chaturvedi engaged in a bitter battle on Twitter over Tarun Tejpal, which took an ugly turn as the senior Congress leader wrote that he will be anguished to take his former colleague to the court.
It all started with Manish Tewari's tweet where he described Tarun Tejpal as "hugely politically persecuted and now honorably exonerated". Former Congress leader Priyanka Chaturvedi took exception to the adjectives as slammed Manish Tewari for "rubbishing a woman's sexual assault."
"Today I got to know that Tarun Tejpal was ‘honorably exonerated’ and ‘politically persecuted’. To rubbish a woman’s sexual assault by this cosy club, smacks of their sick mindset. They believe they can behave as they wish around women and laugh off the serious crime. Shameful," Priyanka Chaturvedi wrote. To this, Manish Tewari said as a lawyer he knows how to read a judgment and cited the verdict in which Tarun Tejpal was found innocent. "Goa Government has gone to High Court.If you have a problem say what you have too in the High Court of Mumbai & Goa," Tewari wrote.
Chaturvedi gave it back to Tewari as she said Twitter is a free platform and if the Congress leader has the right to "pat the back of an alleged rapist", she also has the right to an opinion.
"Please do not cross the line of libel & defamation.I would be anguished to take a fellow MP & former Colleague to Court," Manish Tewari replied.
As several Twitter users joined the exchange of barbs, Tewari replied to many of them and also dug out a screenshot of Priyanka Chaturvedi extending birthday wishes to Suhel Seth who was accused of sexual misconduct.
"Foundation of Criminal Jurisprudence is you are innocent until proven guilty. After being charged as guilty if courts find you innocent then I rest my case. Goa Govt is already before High Court. I highly doubt if they would entertain an intervention but you can try," Manish Tewari replied to a journalist on Twitter.
Tewari also chronicled that Tarun Tejpal and Tehelka's political persecution started in 2001 due to Operation West End. Shiv Sena leader Priyanka Chaturvedi withdrew herself from the acrimony and wrote she won't engage with Manish Tewari on Twitter.
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