New Delhi: Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was today summoned as an accused in a criminal defamation complaint filed against him by BJP leader Nitin Gadkari.

Metropolitan Magistrate Gomati Manocha issued summon for April 7 against Kejriwal on the complaint in which Gadkari had alleged that he was defamed by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader, who had included his name in the party’s list of “India’s most corrupt”.

Senior advocate Pinki Anand and advocate Ajay Digpaul, who had appeared for Gadkari, had argued that Kejriwal had made the statement against the BJP leader with a “malafide intention” to tarnish the image and lower the dignity of their client.

The counsel had contended that Kejriwal had made “baseless and false allegation” against 57-year-old Gadkari.

The court had on February 18 recorded statements of Gadkari and advocate Neeraj as complainant witnesses in the complaint.

Gadkari in his statement had claimed the former Delhi Chief Minister had included his name in the list of alleged corrupt politician to tarnish his public image.

“The accused (Kejriwal) is in the habit of making false and defamatory statements without any basis. The statements made by the accused and his party members have damaged and tarnished my image in the eyes of the people.

“The said statements have been made maliciously by the accused person and his party people with the knowledge that the same are false, without any basis and with the malafide intention to defame and tarnish my reputation,” he had said.

The former BJP President had said that on January 31, Kejriwal had issued a list of alleged “India’s most corrupt” in which he had named various politicians, including him.

Kejriwal had accused several politicians of being “corrupt” and had said AAP will field candidates against them in coming Lok Sabha polls.