BJP’s Amit Malviya received a crucial victory as the Madras High Court’s Madurai Bench quashed a 2023 police FIR against him on Tuesday. The action was initiated by Tiruchi police over claims he misrepresented Tamil Nadu Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin’s comments on Sanatan Dharma.
Delivering the verdict, Justice S. Srimathi classified Stalin’s statements as hate speech. She ruled that Malviya’s reaction was a legitimate response, and any further proceedings would abuse the law and inflict undue damage on him.
The judge delved into the backdrop, highlighting a century-long pattern of anti-Hindu rhetoric from DK and DMK. This context, she said, showed Malviya was probing the underlying meaning of Stalin’s words, not fabricating claims.
The FIR, under IPC sections for promoting enmity and public mischief, followed a complaint from DMK Lawyers’ Wing organizer K.A.V. Thiyagarajan. He alleged Malviya spread fake news implying Stalin advocated mass extermination and used Hindi posts to disrupt social harmony.
Malviya’s social media activity reportedly prompted Ayodhya saint Paramhans Acharya to offer Rs 10 crore for Stalin’s beheading, fueling the prosecution’s hate speech narrative.
Challenging the FIR in court, Malviya argued for its dismissal. The bench agreed, scrapping the case entirely. This decision reinforces protections for commentary on public figures’ statements amid ongoing political and religious debates in Tamil Nadu.
