Court Accepts Review Petition Linked to Amit Shah's Controversial Speech in UP Elections

Court's Decision on Amit Shah's Speech

The District and Sessions Court in Mau has accepted a review petition concerning a controversial speech made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah during the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections in 2022. The court has forwarded the case file to the subordinate court for further proceedings.

This case stems from a complaint filed by local resident and devotee of Lord Hanuman, Naval Kishore Sharma. According to Sharma's lawyer, Ghani Ahmed Nomani, during an election rally in Badaun in 2022, Amit Shah allegedly referred to Lord Hanuman as a 'Bahu Bali' and made comparisons to mafia leaders Shabuddin and Mukhtar Ansari.

Nomani explained that after being hurt by the news reported in newspapers and electronic media, Sharma sent a legal notice to Amit Shah. However, after receiving no response, he filed a complaint in the MP-MLA subordinate court.

The lawyer noted that on the day the complaint was filed, the subordinate court dismissed the petition, citing a lack of jurisdiction without hearing Sharma or his lawyer.

Following this decision, Sharma submitted a review petition to the Sessions Court on Tuesday. Nomani stated that the MP-MLA court confirmed on Wednesday that it has jurisdiction to hear the case in Mau district.

District and Sessions Judge Rajiv Kumar Vats has accepted Sharma's review petition, and the case file has now been sent back to the subordinate court for evidence collection. Nomani mentioned that the subordinate court will independently schedule dates for witness testimonies and ensure the proceedings continue.