The Patna High Court on Wednesday quashed a criminal case filed against Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for allegedly disrespecting the national anthem during the inauguration of an international sporting event, calling the complaint “baseless” and driven by “political motivation.”
Justice Chandra Shekhar Jha allowed Kumar’s petition seeking to set aside proceedings initiated in a Begusarai court based on a complaint by a local resident. The complaint stemmed from an incident on March 21, when the Chief Minister was seen waving and greeting bystanders while the national anthem was being played at the inauguration of the Sepak Takraw World Cup in Patna.
Advocate General P.K. Shahi, representing Kumar, argued that the complaint was politically motivated and intended to malign the image of the Chief Minister, who has held office since 2005. The court accepted this argument, observing that the complaint appeared to have been filed “to gain cheap popularity” and lacked any substantive legal grounds.
“This court finds that the allegations are completely frivolous and cannot be sustained in law,” Justice Jha noted in the order.
The incident had drawn criticism from opposition parties in Bihar, with some legislators demanding a public apology from the Chief Minister on the floor of the assembly. The complainant had initially approached the Chief Judicial Magistrate’s court in Begusarai, claiming that he felt “deeply hurt” by Kumar’s actions, which were widely circulated on news platforms and social media.
