Remarks of ex-Maha governor Koshyari on Shivaji Maharaj no criminal offence: HC
The Hindu
The Bombay High Court has dismissed a petition seeking action against former Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari and BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi for their statements on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and other icons, saying their remarks prima facie do not constitute an offence under any criminal law
The Bombay High Court has dismissed a petition seeking action against former Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari and BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi for their statements on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and other icons, saying their remarks prima facie do not constitute an offence under any criminal law.
The high court also said that the statements reflect the perception and opinion of the speaker about those figures with an aim to persuade the audience, and the intention appears to be to enlighten society for its betterment.
The HC's order was made available recently.
Mr. Koshyari, whose tenure was dogged by controversies caused by his utterances about Shivaji Maharaj, social reformers Mahatma Phule and his wife Savitribai and Marathi people, stepped down from the post of the Governor last month.
He had faced flak for calling Shivaji Maharaj an "icon of olden times", while Mr. Trivedi had allegedly said that the founder of the Maratha empire had apologised to Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.
Justices Sunil Shukre and Abhay Waghwase, on March 20 dismissed a petition filed by Panvel resident Rama Katarnaware, who belongs to the Scheduled Caste (SC) community.
The petitioner claimed that the statements made by Mr. Koshyari and Mr. Trivedi who are non-SC or Scheduled Tribes (ST) members, at public speeches are disrespectful to these late political figures who were held in high esteem by members of society in general and members of the SC/ST communities in particular.
