The Karnataka High Court criticised Indian society for deep-rooted discrimination, calling it “one of the most racist societies in the world” during a hearing on Sudhir Chaudhary’s FIR case. The Court said societal mindset, not just politics or media, fuels communal division.
Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court on Friday made strong oral remarks while hearing a case linked to a news programme hosted by TV anchor Sudhir Chaudhary. During the hearing, Justice M.I. Arun said that Indian society is deeply divided and is “one of the most racist societies in the world.”
These comments came when Chaudhary and Aaj Tak requested the Court to cancel an FIR filed against them for promoting enmity between groups under Section 153A of the IPC.
The FIR was registered after a news show on the ‘Swavalambi Sarathi Scheme’ suggested that the subsidy was available only for minority communities.
The petition before the Court argued that the programme was simply an analysis of a government notification issued by the Karnataka Minorities Development Corporation.
However, the Corporation complained that the show wrongly told the public that the scheme was only for minorities and that Hindus were being left out. The State said this amounted to misinformation spread with the intention of creating communal tensions.
While listening to both sides, Justice Arun spoke about the larger mindset of Indian society. He said the issue of hate and division is not only about politics or media, but comes from society itself.
The Court said,
“The problem with Indian society—all communities included—is we don’t understand that there is only one animal species called Homo sapiens. We are one of the most racist societies in the world. We accuse others of racism, apartheid, and all that. But the truth is we are no less. We feel each community is an animal species by itself, and there has to be discrimination based on community. This is our mentality.”
The judge also spoke about how India was once colonised and warned that something similar is happening again through modern systems.
He said,
“A few thousand British security guards—East India Company security guards—colonised us because we never had the concept of ‘Indianness’. The moment we got the concept of Indianness, the British went out. Now this is the era of neo-colonisation, through companies and other corporate sectors. That’s because again, we are going back to our old habits where we refuse to look at a human being as a human being.”
Justice Arun further commented that political divisions in India exist because voters themselves think along community lines. According to him, political parties choose candidates based on what voters want.
He said,
“Community of the candidate, most of the time, weighs more than fifty per cent than other things when a seat is given… Tell me, which political party says, ‘I believe in Article 14, 19 (1)(a) and 21’ and contests elections? We say leaders are corrupt, but the truth is that in a democracy, people get the leaders they deserve.”
The Court said that real progress comes from scientific thinking and not from religious or community identities. It noted that the programme in question must be checked carefully to see whether it contained false information or was merely a critical opinion.
The Court asked the State to clearly show what part of the report was untrue. Justice Arun stated,
“If the news report speaks falsehood, then in that event, the petition is liable to be dismissed. But if the news report is an analysis of the policy… saying that the policy appeases one section… it may be inflammatory, but the question is whether it is the truth or falsehood. If it is falsehood, show the court what is the falsehood.”
The judge also said that simply calling the programme inflammatory is not enough; the State must point out the exact false statements.
The Court added that if the content is just opinion or policy analysis, it may fall under freedom of speech, but if there is clear falsehood intended to create disharmony, then the FIR may be justified.
At this stage, the Court continued its earlier protection order, which stops the police from taking any coercive action against Sudhir Chaudhary or Aaj Tak. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for January 13, 2026.
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