New Delhi, Aug. 21 -- The Supreme Court on Friday refused to interfere with criminal defamation proceedings against former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal over alleged remarks linking the Akhand Kirtani Jatha (AKJ) with the banned terrorist organisation Babbar Khalsa International (BKI).

A bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Sheel Nagu dismissed Badal's challenge to the proceedings initiated by Rajinder Pal Singh, an AKJ member who claimed that the former minister's statements had tarnished his reputation by associating him with a banned outfit.

Finding no ground to interfere with the pending proceedings, the bench dismissed Badal's plea.

The controversy dates back to the 2017 P...