Supreme Court to Rule on Congress MP Imran Pratapgarhi's Challenge Against Gujarat FIR
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Synopsis
The Supreme Court will announce a decision on Congress MP Imran Pratapgarhi's plea to dismiss an FIR filed against him in Gujarat for allegedly disturbing social harmony through an Instagram video featuring a poem.
Key Takeaways
- The Supreme Court is set to deliver its verdict regarding Imran Pratapgarhi's plea.
- The FIR was filed in Gujarat for allegedly inciting unrest.
- High Court rejected his plea, emphasizing responsible conduct.
- Pratapgarhi claimed the poem in question promotes love.
- The case raises important questions about free speech and social responsibility.
New Delhi, March 27 (NationPress) The Supreme Court is set to announce its verdict on Friday regarding a plea submitted by Congress Rajya Sabha member and poet Imran Pratapgarhi. He is contesting an FIR filed against him in Gujarat for purportedly disrupting social harmony.
According to the causelist released on the apex court's website, a bench comprising Justices Abhay S. Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan will deliver the judgment on March 28 concerning Pratapgarhi's request to annul the complaint. The allegations claim that a video shared by the Congress leader on Instagram, featuring a poem, was inciting unrest and undermining social peace.
After the Gujarat High Court rejected Pratapgarhi's plea to quash the FIR, he escalated the matter to the Supreme Court through a special leave petition.
On January 21, an interim order issued by the Justice Oka-led Bench granted Pratapgarhi protection from arrest. The court directed the Gujarat government to be notified and mandated that no coercive actions should be taken against the petitioner based on the contested FIR.
During the proceedings, the apex court expressed concerns regarding the legitimacy of the FIR.
"Please review the poem. Ultimately, it is a poem. It does not target any religion nor does it attack any specific community. Please consider the essence of the poem," commented the Justice Oka-led Bench.
The complaint against Imran Pratapgarhi originated on January 3, 2025, when an advocate’s clerk filed a report at the Jamnagar police station. The complainant contended that a video uploaded by Pratapgarhi on Instagram, which included a poem, was inciting unrest and jeopardizing social peace.
The Gujarat High Court declined to quash the FIR, emphasizing that as a lawmaker, Pratapgarhi should have exercised caution and adhered to the legal framework. The court further instructed him to submit an affidavit clarifying the authorship of the poem used in the video.
Pratapgarhi was tasked with indicating whether the poem was his original work or sourced from other authors, providing details about the source if applicable. He claimed that the poem was either authored by renowned poets Faiz Ahmed Faiz or Habib Jalib, asserting he discovered it through online platforms, including chat rooms and forums, but could not furnish a definitive source.
He presented screenshots from an AI tool (ChatGPT) to bolster his assertions. He contended that the poem, which advocates love and non-violence, was benign and did not constitute a criminal offense. However, the prosecution disagreed, arguing that as a parliamentarian, he bore the responsibility to act prudently and avoid inciting public disorder via social media.
The police had issued a notice to Imran Pratapgarhi on January 4, requesting his appearance on January 11, but he did not cooperate with the investigation. The Gujarat High Court underscored that Pratapgarhi's actions could not be justified merely by his status as a public figure. His failure to appear before the authorities and the ambiguity surrounding the poem's origin were pivotal in the dismissal of his petition. The Gujarat High Court ultimately rejected Pratapgarhi’s plea, affirming that lawmakers must adhere to the law and act responsibly.
