Bench Declines Shield: Allahabad HC Disposes PIL on Khamenei Portraits
(By Syed Ali Taher Abedi)
10, July, 2026-In a significant order concerning the ongoing controversy over public displays of portraits of Iranian spiritual figures, the Allahabad High Court has refused to entertain a Public Interest Litigation that sought protection for individuals showcasing images of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other Iran-based Shia leaders.
The case, titled Majlis Ulema-E-Hind v. State of UP, was disposed of by a Division Bench comprising Justice Rajan Roy and Justice Manjive Shukla.
The petitioners submitted that “That Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei was, until his death, universally regarded as the highest spiritual and religious authority (Marja-e-Taqlid) by the global Twelver Shia community, a position textually and culturally analogous to that of the Pope in the Christian world, such that the use of police coercion to compel removal of his portrait, the equation of his peaceful
Commemoration with a law-and-order threat, constitutes a direct
intrusion upon the religious conscience of the community.”
Court Finds Petition Too Vague to Proceed
The Bench observed that the petition was built on broad and unsubstantiated claims regarding alleged police interference in the removal of posters and banners depicting Iranian religious leaders. Crucially, the Court noted that the petitioner failed to cite even a single concrete instance no specific house, premises, or establishment where such action had actually taken place.
“On such a vague and general averments, a Public Interest Litigation cannot be maintained nor proceeded with. If there is any specific cause against any such police person under any provision of law, then the remedy prescribed in this regard can be availed, but we see no reason to consider such an omnibus prayer based on such averments,” The court said.
The judges made it clear that a PIL cannot survive on generalised allegations alone.
They observed that if any individual had a genuine, specific grievance against a police official acting outside the bounds of law, the appropriate legal remedy already exists for such cases but a sweeping, all-encompassing prayer without concrete backing did not warrant judicial intervention.
Background of the Plea
The petition had been filed by an organisation called Majlis Ulema-E-Hind, which alleged that law enforcement authorities were systematically removing portraits, banners, and visual imagery of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani from the walls, gates, and surrounding areas of private homes and commercial establishments.
The petitioners had also sought protective directions against any coercive measures or detentions that might follow from such displays.
Advocate Mohd Kumail Haider appeared on behalf of the petitioners before the Court.
Ultimately, finding the allegations too broad and lacking any factual foundation, the High Court declined to proceed with the matter and closed the petition, with the order being pronounced on July 7.
