In a significant ruling, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Tuesday dismissed the FIR filed against BJP leader Amit Malviya by Tiruchi city police in 2023. The case stemmed from allegations that Malviya had distorted statements made by Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on Sanatan Dharma.
Justice S. Srimathi observed that Stalin’s remarks fell under hate speech. She emphasized that Malviya had merely responded to the minister’s speech, and pursuing action against him would amount to misuse of legal process, causing irreparable harm.
The court took note of the historical context, pointing out repeated attacks on Hinduism by parties like Dravidar Kazhagam (DK) and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), to which Stalin belongs, over the past century. ‘Considering all circumstances, the petitioner only questioned the hidden intent behind the minister’s speech,’ the judge noted.
The complaint was lodged by K.A.V. Thiyagarajan, district organizer of DMK Lawyers’ Wing, Tiruchi South, leading to charges under IPC Sections 153, 153A, and 505(1)(b). It accused Malviya of twisting Stalin’s speech to falsely claim calls for genocide against 80% of the population and posting in Hindi to incite enmity.
Following Malviya’s posts, a saint in Ayodhya even announced a Rs 10 crore bounty for Stalin’s head, escalating tensions. Prosecutors argued Malviya’s actions constituted hate speech.
Malviya approached the Madurai Bench seeking quashing of the FIR. After hearing arguments, Justice Srimathi ordered the case dismissed, providing major relief to the BJP IT cell head and underscoring free speech boundaries in political discourse.