The Allahabad High Court has declined to quash an FIR against Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) spokesperson Priyanka Bharti, who is accused of tearing pages from the “Manusmriti” during a live television debate. The incident has sparked significant controversy, leading to legal proceedings against Bharti.
Justices Vivek Kumar Birla and Anish Kumar Gupta dismissed the plea by Bharti, emphasizing the deliberate nature of her actions on live TV. “The act of tearing pages of Manusmriti, a holy book of a particular religion, was nothing but a prima facie reflection of a malicious and deliberate intention of the petitioner and is an act done without any lawful excuse or just cause,” the bench stated in their judgment on February 28.
The court pointed out that Bharti, being a “highly qualified person” and participating as a party spokesperson, could not claim ignorance of her actions. “Therefore, in our opinion, prima facie a cognizable offence is made out,” the order further noted.
The bench also referenced several Supreme Court rulings, concluding that no grounds were presented for interference with the ongoing FIR process. The writ petition seeking to quash the FIR was accordingly dismissed.
