One case under sections 153A/295A of IPC and Section 2 of The Prevention Of Insults To National Honour Act, 1971, has been slapped on Tharoor by advocate Sumeet Chowdhury
In the aftermath of the ‘Hindu Pakistan’ comment made by Shahshi Tharoor, the senior Congress leader was sued in a Kolkata court on Friday. While the court issued summons to Tharoor, perhaps for the first time in Indian judicial history, the court would also serve the summons on his Twitter handle.
One case under sections 153A/295A of IPC and Section 2 of The Prevention Of Insults To National Honour Act, 1971, has been slapped on Tharoor by advocate Sumeet Chowdhury. The court of Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate-I issued the summons.
Chowdhury argued: “Tharoor has issued public statements whereby he has stated that if Indians vote for a particular party (BJP) in 2019 General Elections, in that case the party will turn India into 'Hindu Pakistan' and will tear the Constitution of India.”
The petitioner also cited that Tharoor had refused to apologize for his statement.
“This has hurt the religious sentiments of the Indian citizens, insulted the Constitution and has been intented to create great conflict and disharmony based on religious divide,” Chowdhury said.
“He has also insulted Indians by comparing an Islamic State like Pakistan with a secular State like India. He has also ignored the fact that India is a far superior nation compared to Pakistan, which most countries scorn and disdain,” said Sonjoy Som, witness in the case.
“The summon has been issued and has been allowed to be served on the accused through his Twitter handle apart from regular process of law. This is unprecedented; for the first time someone will be served summons on social media,” he said.
Tharoor had kicked up a controversy on Thursday after he said that if Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the 2019 Lok Sabha elections it would lead to the formation of a 'Hindu Pakistan'.
“If they (BJP) win a repeat in the Lok Sabha, our democratic constitution as we understand it will not survive as they will have all the elements they need to tear apart the constitution of India and write a new one. That new one will be the one which will enshrine principles of Hindu Rashtra, that will remove equality for minorities, that'll create a Hindu Pakistan,” Tharoor had said in Kerala.
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