New Delhi, Oct 14 (UNI) The Supreme Court on Monday extended the stay granted to Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on a defamation case filed against him over the "scorpion sitting on a Shivling" remark made against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018.

A Bench comprising Justice Hrishikesh Roy and Justice SVN Bhatti directed the Additional Solicitor General for NCT Advocate Piyush Beriwal appearing for the complainant to file its response.

The Court directed that the Interim order by which it had stayed the defamation proceedings will continue.
The Top Court had on September 10, stayed the proceedings before a trial court in the defamation case filed against the Congress MP.
The Apex court had also issued notice to the Delhi Police and BJP leader Rajiv Babbar, who is the complainant in the case, seeking their responses to the plea.
Tharoor has moved the top court against the High Court's August 29 order which refused to quash the defamation proceedings against him.

The Supreme Court gave time to the ASG to file its response by the next date.
The Court directed, "Interim order (of stay on defamation proceedings) ordered to continue and gave time to the Union government to file their response.
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