Next hearing in Narendra Modi defamation case on July 20

A court in Rajasthan today fixed July 20 as the next date for hearing of a case against Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi for allegedly making derogatory remarks against the country's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

The chief judicial magistrate court will decide jurisdiction of the suit filed by Bundi-based Youth Congress state secretary Charmesh Sharma in the next hearing.

Sharma alleged in the petition that at a public meeting of the BJP at Gandhinagar in Gujarat on June 5, Modi had said that Nehru had "done nothing for children".

The Congress activist said he and other followers were "deeply hurt and pained" by Modi's comments which he had heard on a private television channel and read on a website.

He pointed out that Nehru's birth anniversary on November 14 is observed as Children's Day across India because of his contribution to child welfare.

Sharma said he has enclosed video recording of the telecast and photocopies of the website report with his petition.

His lawyer Prushotam Pancholi said the case falls in the jurisdiction of Bundi district court as his client had heard Modi making "derogatory remarks against Nehru" on a private news channel at his home in Bundi.