A court in Aligarh district of Uttar Pradesh recently rejected a closure report submitted by the police in the First Information Report (FIR) registered against Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) spokesperson Priyanka Bharti, who is accused of tearing the pages of the Manusmriti, the Hindu text on social order, during a live debate on TV.
Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Aligarh, Rashi Tomar on September 6 directed the police to conduct further investigation in the case, and submit a fresh report.
The court’s order came on a protest petition filed by Bharat Tiwari, secretary of the Rashtriya Savarna Parishad (national upper caste council).
Mr. Tiwari, in his complaint lodged in December 2024, had alleged that Ms. Bharti had committed a grave insult to the sacred Manusmriti by tearing it on live television, which had hurt the religious sentiments of members of the Hindu community. Ms. Bharti had provided false information on the Manusmriti to create riots across the country, Mr. Tiwari alleged. The video of the incident was widely circulated via TV and mobile platforms, he said.
On the petitioner’s complaint, the Aligarh police booked Ms. Bharti under Section 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings).
