Days after a video of BJP National Secretary H Raja abusing the Madras High Court became viral, the court gave the leader a dressing down on Monday. While taking suo moto cognizance of Raja’s comments in the video, the court has made some scathing remarks, while summoning the BJP man to present himself before court in four weeks.
Calling the BJP leader’s remarks, scandalous, Justices CT Selvam and M Nirmal Kumar said, “Any attempt at creating a dent in this most revered pillar of our democratic system could lead to promotion of fascism, naxalism, and all that is opposed to democracy.”
A video of H Raja verbally severely abusing both the Tamil Nadu police and the Madras High Court went viral over the weekend. An angry H Raja is seen gesturing wildly and screaming at two policemen who were trying to pacify him. The leader was riled up when the police attempted to prevent a Vinayaka Chaturthi procession headed by H Raja from entering a communally sensitive area, where the Madras High Court has banned processions.
Soon after the video went viral, H Raja, on Sunday, told the press that it was not his voice in that video and that the voice had been dubbed by someone else.
This is not the first time Raja has been mired in controversy. In March this year, a post on his Facebook account said, “Who is Lenin? What is his connection to India? What is the connection of communists to India? Lenin’s statue was destroyed in Tripura. Today Lenin’s statue, tomorrow Tamil Nadu’s EVR Ramaswami’s statue.” Following outrage over this remark, Raja distanced himself from the Facebook post and said that the page was maintained by various administrators who had posted it.
This time around, the court has taken a dig at this as well. “While it is the order of day to deny one’s signature, let us be told that it is also the order of the day to allow one to escape action by denying his voice!”
However, the Court stated that it would not be initiating action in the case against Raja since another Bench was reserved for that purpose. H Raja’s comments were made in Pudukkottai which comes under the jurisdiction of the Madurai Bench of the Madras HC.
The Court also hoped that a fair and just investigation would take place, “rather than the frequent and usual course of withdrawal of the case by the State once all is first forgotten and then forgiven.”
An FIR was registered on Sunday evening against H Raja and seven others in the Thirumayam Police Station in Pudukkottai district under sections 143 (Punishment for unlawful assembly), 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 153(A) (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), 290 (Punishment for public nuisance), 294(b) (sings, recites or utters any obscene song, ballad or words, in or near any public place), 353 (Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 505(1)(b) (Committing an offence against public tranquillity), 505 (1)(c) (with intent to incite, or which is likely to incite, any class or community of persons to commit any offence against any other class or community) and 506(1) ( Criminal intimidation) of the IPC.
Source: The News Minute