Butter Chicken row: Daryaganj chain moves HC against alleged defamatory remarks by Moti Mahal owners

New Delhi, March 26 : Daryaganj, a restaurant chain, has moved the Delhi High Court against certain alleged defamatory remarks attributed to the proprietors of Moti Mahal in a newspaper interview regarding the origin of "butter chicken".

Moti Mahal in January moved the Delhi High Court on the issue of rightful claimant to the title of developing the iconic Indian culinary delights - butter chicken and dal makhani.

Its case against Daryaganj is over the usage of the tagline "Inventors of Butter Chicken and Dal Makhani".

Moti Mahal alleges that Daryaganj is engaging in misleading practices by suggesting a connection between the two restaurants.

The case was heard by a bench of Justice Sanjeev Narula in January, when he issued summons to the owners of Daryaganj, directing them to file a written response to the suit within a month.Additionally, he issued notice on Moti Mahals application for an interim injunction, scheduling a hearing for May 29.

Now, the controversy has risen when statements made by Moti Mahal owners in an article, initially published in the Wall Street Journal and subsequently circulated by other media outlets, were deemed detrimental to Daryaganjs reputation.

In response to the allegations, the owners of Moti Mahal have asserted that the remarks in question were presented from an "editorial perspective" and cannot be directly attributed to them.

Justice Narula has now directed the proprietors of Moti Mahal to submit an affidavit affirming their effort to distance themselves from the disputed statements published in the articles.

"Plaintiffs (Moti Mahal owners) are directed to submit an affidavit, elaborating on the assertions and affirming their effort to distance themselves from the disputed statement in the published articles.

Let the same be filed within two weeks from today," Justice Narula stated in the recent order.

Daryaganjs application to the court stresses the damaging impact of the alleged defamatory remarks on its reputation and business interests.

The statements not only disparaged their establishment but also raised concerns about prejudicing a fair adjudication on the lawsuit, it claimed.

The proprietors of Moti Mahal have sought to clarify that the expressions found in the article were not reflective of their direct communications or intentions, aiming to dissociate themselves from any perceived defamation.

Moti Mahals argument that the first branch of their restaurant was opened in the Daryaganj neighbourhood and it contends that this geographical association is being exploited by Daryaganj to imply a culinary relationship that doesnt exist.

The heart of the dispute lies in the historical claim of each restaurant to the invention of butter chicken and dal makhani.

Moti Mahal credits its founder, the late Kundan Lal Gujral, with creating these iconic dishes that have become synonymous with Indian cuisine globally.

According to Moti Mahal, Gujral not only invented the tandoori chicken but also butter chicken and dal makhani, bringing them to India after the Partition.

Moti Mahals suit reveals a culinary narrative where Gujral, concerned about the unsold leftovers of chicken drying out, ingeniously invented the makhani or butter sauce.

This sauce, a concoction of tomatoes, butter, cream, and spices, became the foundation of the delectable butter chicken.

Moti Mahal further contends that the invention of dal makhani is intricately linked to the invention of butter chicken, as the same recipe was applied with black lentils to create it.

Daryaganjs senior counsel Amit Sibal had then vehemently rejected the allegations by senior advocate Sandeep Sethi, appearing for Moti Mahal, categorically labelling the entire suit "baseless", and underscoring the joint establishment of the first Moti Mahal restaurant in Peshawar by predecessors of both parties - Gujral of Moti Mahal and Jaggi of Daryaganj restaurant.

spr/vd