Hold Owaisi Accountable Under Contempt Law for Remarks Against Allahabad High Court
Hold Owaisi Accountable Under Contempt Law for Remarks Against Allahabad High Court
The Issue
On 25th August 2026, at the annual Jalsa-e-Rahmatul-lil-Alameen gathering held at the AIMIM party headquarters in Darussalam, Hyderabad, party president Mr. Asaduddin Owaisi publicly and strongly criticized the recent judgment of the Hon'ble Allahabad High Court, which held that wearing the hijab is not an "essential religious practice" under Article 25 of the Constitution.
In his speech, he stated that he disagreed with the ruling, that the judges of the High Court should not have delivered such a judgment, and questioned who they were to decide the "centrality" of Islam. He repeatedly described the verdict as an "attack on Islam."
Every citizen has the right to disagree with a court's decision and to offer fair, reasoned criticism of it. However, the language and tone used in this statement — delivered before a large public gathering where the crowd was seen applauding the remarks — appears to go beyond legitimate criticism, tending to question the constitutional authority of the Court and erode public confidence in the judiciary.
The Supreme Court of India, in cases such as Re: Prashant Bhushan (2020) and Re: Arundhati Roy (2002), has held that while fair criticism of judgments is permissible, statements that scandalize the judiciary or undermine its dignity may amount to criminal contempt under Section 2(c) of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971.
Since private citizens cannot initiate criminal contempt proceedings without the written consent of the Advocate General under Section 15(1)(b) of the Act, we urge the Hon'ble Advocate General of Uttar Pradesh to examine this matter and, if a prima facie case is found, grant written consent for initiating contempt proceedings before the Allahabad High Court.
This petition is not motivated by political rivalry but is made in the larger public interest — to safeguard the independence, dignity, and public trust in the judiciary. We appeal to all concerned citizens, members of the legal community, and those who believe in constitutional values to sign this petition and stand in support of the judiciary's honor.
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The Issue
On 25th August 2026, at the annual Jalsa-e-Rahmatul-lil-Alameen gathering held at the AIMIM party headquarters in Darussalam, Hyderabad, party president Mr. Asaduddin Owaisi publicly and strongly criticized the recent judgment of the Hon'ble Allahabad High Court, which held that wearing the hijab is not an "essential religious practice" under Article 25 of the Constitution.
In his speech, he stated that he disagreed with the ruling, that the judges of the High Court should not have delivered such a judgment, and questioned who they were to decide the "centrality" of Islam. He repeatedly described the verdict as an "attack on Islam."
Every citizen has the right to disagree with a court's decision and to offer fair, reasoned criticism of it. However, the language and tone used in this statement — delivered before a large public gathering where the crowd was seen applauding the remarks — appears to go beyond legitimate criticism, tending to question the constitutional authority of the Court and erode public confidence in the judiciary.
The Supreme Court of India, in cases such as Re: Prashant Bhushan (2020) and Re: Arundhati Roy (2002), has held that while fair criticism of judgments is permissible, statements that scandalize the judiciary or undermine its dignity may amount to criminal contempt under Section 2(c) of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971.
Since private citizens cannot initiate criminal contempt proceedings without the written consent of the Advocate General under Section 15(1)(b) of the Act, we urge the Hon'ble Advocate General of Uttar Pradesh to examine this matter and, if a prima facie case is found, grant written consent for initiating contempt proceedings before the Allahabad High Court.
This petition is not motivated by political rivalry but is made in the larger public interest — to safeguard the independence, dignity, and public trust in the judiciary. We appeal to all concerned citizens, members of the legal community, and those who believe in constitutional values to sign this petition and stand in support of the judiciary's honor.
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Petition created on 3 September 2026