On April 22, 2025, the Supreme Court of India agreed to hear next week a plea seeking the removal of social media content deemed derogatory towards the judiciary, following controversial remarks made by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey.
Dubey had criticized the Supreme Court and Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, accusing them of contributing to “civil wars” in the country. These statements, which went viral on social media, led to widespread use of derogatory phrases against the judiciary. A bench comprising Justices B R Gavai and Augustine George Masih acknowledged the seriousness of the issue and scheduled the matter for hearing next week .
An advocate filed a letter petition urging the court to direct the removal of such content from social media platforms, arguing that Dubey’s remarks were false, reckless, and amounted to criminal contempt . The Supreme Court clarified that its permission is not required to file a contempt petition against Dubey .
The BJP has distanced itself from Dubey’s remarks, emphasizing that they do not reflect the party’s official stance.
Sources