Madras High Court Today (April 23) launched suo moto proceedings against Minister Ponmudi for his offensive remarks. The Court called it hate speech and slammed police inaction.
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CHENNAI: The Madras High Court today started suo moto (on its own) action against Tamil Nadu Minister Ponmudi after he made certain public speeches that were considered highly inappropriate and insulting.
Justice Anand Venkatesh, while looking into the matter, said that from the first look, the Minister’s words appear to be a kind of hate speech. He mentioned that these remarks might come under serious criminal sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023, such as Sections 79, 196(1)(e), 296(a), 299, and 302.
These laws deal with serious crimes like promoting enmity, hurting religious feelings, and other major offenses.
According to the Court, the Minister’s comments were not only against women but also directly hurt the religious beliefs of two major Hindu communities – Vaishnavites and Saivites. These are two important sects of Hinduism, and any insult to their beliefs is taken very seriously under Indian law.
The Court added that,
“besides being obscene, the speech also hurt the religious sentiments of Vaishnavites and Saivites.”
The Judge further noted that the Minister had accepted that he made the statement. Because of this, he was removed from his position.
But what concerned the Court even more was the fact that no action was taken by the police, who are supposed to act immediately in such cases.
“This ongoing inaction by the police is very troubling,”
-said Justice Anand Venkatesh.
The Judge explained that as a Constitutional Court, it is their job to make sure that the Tamil Nadu Police follows the rules laid down by the Supreme Court of India, especially when it comes to hate speech.
The Judge clearly stated that-
“when it comes to hate speech, the court will not allow any exceptions—there must be strict action with zero tolerance.”
He also reminded everyone that this is not the first time the Minister has faced legal trouble. The Court had earlier found him guilty in a corruption case, but the Supreme Court had stayed (paused) that decision, which allowed the Minister to remain free.
“He misused that freedom by giving a very offensive speech.”
Because of this, the Madras High Court has now taken the serious step of asking its registry to file a writ petition suo moto—which means the Court is beginning a legal case by itself, without anyone needing to file a complaint.
This strong action by the High Court shows that no one is above the law, and that even powerful political leaders can be held accountable when their words hurt the unity and sentiments of the public.
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