In a significant legal ruling, the Supreme Court of India has stated that referring to someone as ‘Miyan-Tiyan’ or ‘Pakistani’ may be in poor taste and offensive, but it does not amount to a criminal offense under laws related to hurting religious sentiments.
The ruling came while dismissing a case against an 80-year-old man from Jharkhand, who was accused of making such remarks toward a government official. The complainant had alleged that the remarks were communal in nature and were intended to provoke religious disharmony.
However, the Supreme Court observed that while such statements may be objectionable or distasteful, they do not necessarily meet the legal threshold for criminal prosecution under Section 295A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which deals with deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings.
This verdict has sparked discussions on free speech, communal sensitivity, and the legal limits of offensive remarks in India.
