The Madhya Pradesh High Court has refused to quash a case filed against a Congress worker for posting allegedly “ludicrous” photos and a video about Prime Minister Narendra Modi and using defamatory language against the Indian Army during Operation Sindoor.
In an order dated June 24, Justice Vishal Mishra held that the court intervenes in such matters only in the “rarest of rare” cases and said there was enough material on record to allow the investigation to proceed.
A complaint was filed against Yadvendra Pandey, a member of the Congress, for allegedly making a Facebook post claiming that Modi “withdrew” from military action against Pakistan under pressure from the neighbouring country. It was also alleged that Pandey had used “scurrilous” language against the army.
The FIR was registered at Singhpur Police Station in Shahdol district under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita pertaining to intentional insult to provoke breach of peace, harm to national integrity and abetting assault on armed forces officers.
During the hearing, Pandey denied making the post and argued he was being targeted for political reasons by Bharatiya Janata Party members, against whom he had previously filed a forgery complaint, Live Law reported.
He added that he had no intention or motivation to defame the country or its forces and said no prima facie case was made out against him.
The state, however, opposed the plea, arguing that the FIR contained sufficient material pointing to Pandey’s involvement in the alleged offence.
It contended that the FIR should not be quashed until the investigation is completed.
Tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad escalated on May 7 when the Indian military carried out strikes – codenamed Operation Sindoor – on what it claimed were terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
The strikes were in response to the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, which killed 26 persons on April 22.
The Pakistan Army retaliated to Indian strikes by repeatedly shelling Indian villages along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. At least 22 Indian civilians and eight defence personnel were killed in the shelling.
India and Pakistan on May 10 reached an “understanding” to halt firing following the four-day conflict.
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