CHENNAI : The Madras High Court on Monday initiated suo motu contempt proceedings against BJP national secretary H Raja for his alleged use of abusive language against police and judiciary at an idol immersion procession at Pudukottai district on Saturday. Video of the incident went viral.
“Any attempt at creating a dent in this most revered pillar of democratic system could lead to promotion of fascism, naxalism and all that is opposed to democracy,” the bench, comprising Justices CT Selvam and Nirmal Kumar, said and asked Raja to appear before it in person on October 22.
This came after a bench comprising Justices Huluvadi G. Ramesh and K Kalyanasundaram refused to take suo motu action against Raja when approached by advocates C Rajasekaran, C Kanagaraj, R Sudha and Raja Mohamed, instead stating that if any contempt petition was filed then it would hear the matter.
In the video of the incident at Meyyapuram in Pudukottai, Raja is seen hurling abuses at the police, calling them “corrupt” and “anti-Hindu”, and at the judiciary after he wasn’t allowed to take the procession through a particular route citing “a court order”.
Tirumayam police registered an FIR against him and others on Sunday.“It is with concern, that we taking cognizance of the scandalous conduct of the contemner in the course of his actions, visuals and reports whereof are in wide circulation... issue statutory notice in contempt to H.Raja,” the court said.“It is the majesty of this institution... which is paramount and it is this that we seek to uphold,” the judges observed.
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