The Supreme Court on July 14, 2025, said the right of freedom of speech and expression was being “abused” while hearing the plea of a cartoonist Hemant Malviya, accused of sharing alleged objectionable cartoons of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Hindu deities on social media.
The bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Aravind Kumar issued a clear warning that if Malviya posts any further offensive content, “then state is free to act against him under law.”
The court was hearing Malviya’s anticipatory bail plea after the Madhya Pradesh High Court rejected his request on July 3. During the proceedings, a bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Aravind Kumar questioned the nature of the post and the broader implications for freedom of expression.
Justice Dhulia remarked during the hearing, “Whatever we may do with this case, but this is definitely the case that the freedom of speech and expression is being abused.”
Justice Dhulia rebuked Malviya over the posts, saying, “Hadd hai! Log kisi ko bhi, kuch bhi keh dete hain (This is too much. These days, people write anything, say anything, without caring about the language)”.
Representing the Madhya Pradesh Government, Additional Solicitor General K M Nataraj argued that such acts had been repeated and suggested the issue went beyond maturity. “It is not the question of maturity alone. It is something more,” he said.
Notably, Malviya was booked at Lasudiya police station in Indore in May on a complaint filed by lawyer and RSS Swayamsevak Vinay Joshi.
Malviya is accused of posting indecent and objectionable material with the intention of hurting religious sentiments of Hindus and tarnishing the RSS’s image.
Malviya is facing charges under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including Section 196 (acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), Section 299 (outraging religious feelings), Section 352 (intentional insult), as well as Section 67-A of the IT Act for publishing sexually explicit content online.
On examining the content, Organiser found that Hemant Malviya’s cartoons repeatedly mocked Hindu traditions, deities, and socio-political symbols. These were not political cartoons in the conventional sense, but veiled attacks meant to degrade, incite and divide the Hindu society.
In one cartoon, a wealthy man is shown holding the sacred Sengol with an idol of PM Modi seated on it which is highly objectionable. Notably, Senegol is a Tamil symbol of justice and dharma that was ceremoniously placed in the Indian Parliament in 2023. Hemant Malviya reduced it to a prop and made a political caricature, thus he not only mocked an individual, but the spiritual traditions of Bharat.
Another cartoon depicted the recent Operation Sindoor launched by Indian armed forces against the terror state Pakistan in an extremely disgraceful manner. Malviya pictured that the operation was a political stunt and linked it to Congress MP Shashi Tharoor supporting PM Modi, thereby not only belittling the valour of Indian army but also indirectly mocking the deaths of innocents in Pahalgam.
Another offensive cartoon showed PM Modi standing next to former US President Donald Trump, asking if he could claim the ceasefire between India and Pakistan as his personal victory and then hold a ‘Tiranga Yatra’. This was a shameful mocking of the valour and sacrifices of Indian Armed soldiers, especially during tense cross-border escalations.
In yet another cartoon, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar was portrayed hiding behind a tree during a Pakistan-led terrorist attack.
In one of the most disturbing depictions, Malviya drew RSS swayamsevaks being injected with syringes by PM Modi — a disrespectful and baseless portrayal that insults lakhs of dedicated swayamsewaks who selflessly work for the nation and society.
The cartoonist went further by mocking Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, depicting him as a snake lying at the feet of royal chairs, another visual that mocks the dignity of a Constitutional office.
In another deeply offensive cartoon, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was shown bowing before a man shown in tore clothes, labelled a “Naga Sadhu”.
The above cartoons are just a glimpse of Hemant Malviya’s attempts to hurt the sentiments of Hindu society, mocking hindu religious symbols, degrade Indian armed forces etc.
Meanwhile, all this was not art, this was not satire but a provocations designed to demean, divide Hindu society. Such misuse of art, digital platforms under the guise of freedom of expression is dangerous.
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