Defamation case against CM Yogi over anti-Muslim remarks dismissed

A Lucknow court has dismissed a defamation case filed against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath for allegedly using an anti-Muslim slur during a speech in the Legislative Council in February. Additional Civil Judge Alok Verma ruled that the comment made by Adityanath in the Upper House of the state legislature could not be challenged in court as it was protected under Article 194 of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of speech within the legislative bodies.

In his speech, Adityanath had used the term while criticizing socialists, claiming they send their children to English-medium schools while urging others to study Urdu to turn them into "maulvis." The complaint was filed by Amitabh Thakur, a former Indian Police Service officer and leader of the Azad Adhikar Sena. Thakur alleged that the CM's remarks had stirred hostility and hatred among various societal groups, disrupting social harmony, and hurt the sentiments of the Muslim community.

However, the court ruled that only the individual directly affected by the alleged defamatory remark could file such a complaint. Since Thakur was not an aggrieved party, the court concluded he could not maintain the case. Furthermore, the court highlighted that defamation complaints against high-ranking officials like ministers could only be filed with prior approval from the government through a public prosecutor. Thakur had failed to fulfill this requirement, according to the court.