Inflammatory, Immature’: Supreme Court Slams Cartoon For PM Modi-RSS Sketch

New Delhi:

The Supreme Court rebuked Indore-based cartoonist Hemant Malviya for an ‘inflammatory’ cartoon of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, which is the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party‘s ideological mentor, with a link to Lord Shiva in the comments.

A bench headed by Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia expressed dismay over the 50-year-old cartoonist’s “immaturity” and called his creation an “abuse of freedom of speech and expression”. In a sharp observation Monday, the court asked for the cartoon to be deleted.

The court then posted the matter – Malviya’s anticipatory bail plea – for futher hearing tomorrow, refusing, as it did, a plea for interim protection against arrest. The court told Advocate Vrinda Grover, appearing for Malviya, nothing would happen in a 24-hour period.

Earlier, Grover told court Malviya posted only the cartoon and that the comments – on a social media platform on which the image had been shared – had been added by another individual.