Delhi High Court Criticizes Sanju Verma for Irresponsible Remarks About Congress’s Shama Muhammad.
(Judicial Quest News Network)
Justice Arjun Mahajan of the Delhi High Court has issued a significant ruling regarding derogatory remarks made by BJP spokesperson Sanju Verma against Congress spokesperson Dr. Shama Muhammad. The court ordered X (formerly Twitter) to remove over a dozen tweets that were deemed harmful to Dr. Muhammad’s reputation.
In addition, the court instructed News18 to take down a YouTube video featuring a news debate where Verma used offensive language towards Dr. Muhammad, including terms like “bewakoof aurat” (foolish woman) and questioning her qualifications by stating, “You are not even a doctor” and labelling her a “Madrasa breed bigot.”
The court noted that these comments appeared to be not only derogatory but also potentially damaging to Dr. Muhammad’s image as a national sports figure and a qualified dentist. The remarks included phrases such as “Madrasa breed” and insinuated that Dr. Muhammad aimed to spread division among communities. The court emphasized that such comments were made in a reckless manner, showing a blatant disregard for the basic etiquette expected in public debates.
Justice Mahajan underscored the importance of an individual’s reputation as a vital component of their dignity. He reiterated that while Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution protects the right to free speech, this right is subject to reasonable restrictions, particularly in cases involving public decency, morality, defamation, or incitement to offense. The court’s decision reflects a commitment to uphold respect and decorum in public discourse, particularly in political contexts.
“This freedom needs to be exercised with circumspection and cannot be permitted to violate the rights of other citizens and to jeopardize their public interest. More so, in case of political functionaries, who spend their lifetime in building their image in the public, which cannot be permitted to be tumbled by baseless, defamatory statements by any political entity/individual for petty gains.”.
Shama Muhammad filed a defamation suit against Sanju Verma and News18 concerning a debate that occurred on August 20. The discussion centred around the murder and rape case at RG Hospital in West Bengal. Muhammad contended that rather than addressing the substance of her arguments, Verma chose to engage in malicious name-calling. It was also noted that the news channel has a history of permitting the use of abusive and inflammatory language in its programming.
“Such instances have also been brought to the notice of the National Broadcasting and Digital Standards Authority, whereby the said authority has passed orders imposing penalties against the defendant no. 2 for violating ‘Code of Ethics and Broadcasting Standards ‘the court was told.
It was argued that the news channel has a track record of permitting abusive and inflammatory language in its broadcasts. The court acknowledged this concern and determined that sufficient grounds existed for granting the requested relief, subsequently issuing an order for the content to be removed.it also issued summons to Burma News 18 and online platforms Mohammed Ali Khan, Isha Bakshi, SM Khurshid, Uday Bhatia, and K Sharma, represented Dr Shama Muhammad.
