New Delhi, Jan 23,2023: The Supreme Court declined to entertain a plea seeking direction for registration of a case against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in connection with an objectionable speech allegedly made in 2018 during an election campaign in Alwar, Rajasthan.

A bench headed by Justice B.R. Gavai told the petitioner’s counsel that such litigations are meant for page 1 of newspapers.

The petition was filed by Naval Kishor Sharma of Mau district. The petitioner moved the apex court challenging the Allahabad High Court order, which dismissed his plea and also imposed a cost of Rs 5,000.

Declining to entertain the plea, the bench, also comprising Justice Vikram Nath, said “dismissed…”

The petitioner had claimed that Adityanath in November 2018, in an election speech in Alwar hurt his religious sentiments. Initially, the petitioner had filed a complaint against the speech before the district court of Mau, which was rejected.

Later, he moved the high court, which too dismissed the plea. The high court said the court at Mau had no territorial jurisdiction to entertain the said complaint and its dismissal with order dated March 11, 2022, under Section 203 Cr.P.C. is just and proper.

Dismissing the plea, the high court added that the dismissal of the revision vide judgment and order dated April 26, 2022 (wherein the order dated March 11, 2022 was challenged) is also without any illegality, irregularity and perversity.

According to the petitioner on November 28, 2018, Adityanath addressed a public meeting with regards to general Vidhan Sabha elections in Malakheda, Alwar (Rajasthan) in which he stated certain words for Lord Bajrangbali due to which the religious sentiments of public who are followers of Sri Bajrangbali have been hurt.