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Supreme Court Questions Why Nupur Sharma Has Not Been Arrested Yet

By Sunil Garodia
First publised on 2022-07-02 03:56:08

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Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator. Author of Cyber Scams in India, Digital Arrest, The Money Trap and The Human Hack

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Nupur Sharma, the ex-BJP spokesperson whose remarks on the Prophet set the country on fire and almost spoiled its relations with several Muslim nations, did not know what hit her when her plea for transferring all cases filed against her for the said remarks to Delhi as it was not possible for her to travel across the country to attend all such cases due to the threat to her life came up for hearing in the Supreme Court. In the first pointed remark, the Supreme Court asked whether "she faces threats or she has become a security threat".

The court was also angry at the way she directly approached the Supreme Court instead of going to a lower court for the transfer of the cases. The court said that power had gone to her head as she was the spokesperson of a political party and thought magistrates were too low for her status. The court also questioned why she had not been arrested till now despite so many FIRs against her when others were arrested for lesser charges and against a single FIR.

The court also objected to the TV debate in which she participated saying that there was no need for holding a debate on topic that was sub judice and it appears that the debate was held with an agenda. It further said that Nupur Sharma had set the country on fire through her "loose tongue". It refused to grant any relief to her in the matter after which she chose to withdraw the plea.

There is no doubt that the government is following double standards when it comes to arresting those making hate speeches or intemperate remarks against other religions or criticizing government policies. The full force of law is unleashed on those who criticize the government and they are arrested under draconian (and colonial-age) laws while people like Nupur Sharma and Yati Narshinghanand are left alone to continue with their nefarious activities. The Supreme Court has done well to highlight this fact.