Today, On 5th September, The Madras High Court quashed the FIR against BJP leader Shobha Karandlaje after the Tamil Nadu government accepted her apology. The FIR filed following her remarks at a press conference in March, where she suggested that Tamil Nadu involved in the bomb blast at the Rameshwaram café in Bengaluru. With her apology accepted, legal proceedings have been dropped.
The Madras High Court on Thursday quashed the FIR against BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje after the Tamil Nadu government informed the court it no longer wished to proceed with the case.
Advocate General PS Raman, representing the state, informed a bench led by Justice G Jayachandran that the state made a “policy decision” to accept Karandlaje’s public apology, which she submitted via an affidavit in court.
As a result, the state decided not to pursue the case any further, as submitted by the Advocate General.
Justice Jayachandran acknowledged the state’s position and ordered the quashing of the FIR filed by Madurai police against Karandlaje.
The FIR initially registered by the Madurai City Cybercrime Police following remarks Karandlaje made during a press conference about the people of Tamil Nadu.
According to the FIR, following the Rameshwaram Cafe blasts in Bengaluru on March 1, BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje allegedly stated during a press conference,
“People trained in Tamil Nadu plant bombs here. A bomb was planted at the hotel.”
Earlier, the Tamil Nadu government informed the court that it would agree to quash the case if Karandlaje held a press conference to apologize for her remarks.
On September 3, Karandlaje’s lawyer, Senior Advocate Aruna Shyam, informed the court that while the BJP leader was unwilling to hold a press conference, she expressed her regret and apologized to the people of Tamil Nadu in an affidavit.
In her affidavit, Karandlaje stated she had the “highest regard for the people of Tamil Nadu” and clarified “she never intended to hurt anyone’s sentiments.”
The affidavit read,
“Having understood that the comments made by me had hurt the sentiments and feelings of some people of Tamil Nadu, I have already retracted my previous comments and tendered my profound apologies through social media platforms. I have the highest respect and regard for the history, rich culture, and traditions of the people of Tamil Nadu. I had or have no intention whatsoever to hurt the sentiments of people of Tamil Nadu by any conduct of mine. Hence, I hereby once again tender my apology to the people of Tamil Nadu for having caused any hurt from my comments. The same may kindly be taken on record in the interest of justice,”
This resolution marks the end of the legal proceedings against Karandlaje, who faced criticism for her remarks. The court’s decision to quash the FIR after the state accepted her apology highlights the importance of diplomatic resolution and maintaining respect for public sentiments in sensitive matters.
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