1 month ago
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Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) person and erstwhile Minister K. Ponmudy has approached the Madras High Court to acceptable speech a backstage ailment lodged against him by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s Greater Chennai Corporation councillor, Uma Anandan, for comments helium made successful 2025, which were criticised for being violative to Vaishnavites, Saivites, and women.
The III Metropolitan Magistrate astatine George Town successful Chennai had taken cognisance of the backstage complaint, lodged for alleged offences nether assorted provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (previously Indian Penal Code), connected February 23, 2026 and ordered issuance of summons to the erstwhile Minister.
In her complaint, Ms. Anandan had stated she came crossed a YouTube video of the Minister’s code delivered astatine an lawsuit successful Chennai successful April 2025. She recovered it to beryllium highly distasteful and besides intended astatine promoting enmity betwixt antithetic groups of radical too being prejudicial to attraction of harmony.
She said, successful the code delivered during his stint arsenic Forest Minister, Mr. Ponmudy had recalled an incidental of a idiosyncratic having likened the pattai (a horizontal awesome displayed by Saivites connected their forehead) and tiruman (a vertical awesome sported by Vaishnavites connected their forehead) to statement of intersexual postures by a enactment worker.
Since the code amounted to wounding the spiritual feelings of the 2 sects professing Hinduism too falling nether the explanation of hatred speech, the complainant initially approached the police. But the constabulary closed her ailment and hence she had chosen to attack the Magistrate by mode of a backstage complaint.
Opposing her plea earlier the Magistrate, the counsel for the erstwhile Minister had contended the complainant had not made retired immoderate offence nether Sections 196(i)(a) (promoting enmity betwixt antithetic groups), 299 (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage spiritual feelings) oregon 302 (uttering words with intent to coiled spiritual feelings) of BNS, 2023.
It was besides brought to the announcement of the tribunal that the code was delivered wrong a closed hall. The counsel contended the erstwhile Minister had simply recollected what was already said respective decades agone and determination was nary malicious intent to outrage anyone’s spiritual feelings.
However, aft proceeding some sides, the Magistrate highlighted that the erstwhile Minister had not denied making immoderate specified speech. Whether specified code would autumn nether the explanation of hatred code oregon not and whether the offences alleged by the complainant had been made retired oregon not could beryllium decided lone aft a afloat fledged trial, the judicial serviceman said.
“Prima facie lawsuit is made retired against responsive (Mr. Ponmudy) for offences Under Section 196(i)(a), 299, 302 of BNS, 2023. This tribunal is inclined to instrumentality cognizance of the supra said offences against the accused. Issue summons to accused,” the Magistrate had ordered connected Feburary 23 starring to the contiguous plea earlier the High Court to acceptable speech the backstage complaint.
