New Delhi: Advocate Amita Sachdeva has claimed a significant legal development involving both a notice to former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju and action taken against certain social media posts by journalist Rana Ayyub.
In a post shared on X, Sachdeva stated that a formal legal notice has been issued to Justice Katju seeking the immediate removal of what she described as “blasphemous” content, along with a public apology and a direction to refrain from further statements allegedly hurting Hindu religious sentiments.
Markandey Katju (X handle: @mkatju), a retired Supreme Court judge, has repeatedly posted or shared content on X and Facebook that many Indians (especially Hindus) have found deeply offensive, hurtful, or blasphemous. These often target Hindu religious practices, revered national figures like Mahatma Gandhi, or broader Indian/Hindu identity and pride. His statements frequently generalize negatively about Indians or Hindus, leading to widespread backlash, protests, legal notices, and accusations of hurting religious sentiments.
The latest in such a series of offensive posts is an AI-generated image of Donald Trump as Bhagwan Vishnu that Katju posted (and reportedly reposted despite backlash) on 26 April 2026. It is an image of Bhagwan Vishnu (complete with blue skin, Sheshnag, attributes like Shankha/Chakra, etc. with the face of superimposing US President Donald Trump’s face superimposed on the sacred form of the revered Lord.
Hindus see this as deliberate blasphemy and mockery of a supreme deity. It triggered widespread outrage, legal notices citing Sections 299, 199, etc. of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (outraging religious feelings), and demands for deletion/apology.
https://twitter.com/mkatju/status/2048237566676336919
Notice to Markandey Katju
According to Sachdeva, the notice accuses Katju of posting content that outrages religious sentiments and warns of legal proceedings if the demands are not complied with. The development appears to be separate but related to a broader legal strategy pursued by her team.
🛑 LEGAL NOTICE
To,
Mr. Markandey Katju
Former Judge, Supreme Court of India
X Handle:@mkatju,Subject: Legal Notice for Immediate Removal of Blasphemous Post, Public Apology, and Cessation of Further Acts Outraging Hindu Religious Sentiments, Failing Which Legal Proceedings… pic.twitter.com/foIWgWzgQw
— Amita Sachdeva, Advocate (@SachdevaAmita) April 26, 2026
Here are the contents of the Legal Notice
Amita Sachdeva, Advocate-on-Record (AOR)-Supreme Court of India who has declared long since that she will pursue legal action against anyone who insults Sanatan Dharma.
LEGAL NOTICE
To, Mr. Markandey Katju Former Judge, Supreme Court of India X Handle: @mkatju
Subject: Legal Notice for Immediate Removal of Blasphemous Post, Public Apology, and Cessation of Further Acts Outraging Hindu Religious Sentiments, Failing Which Legal Proceedings Shall Be Initiated.
Sir,
1. You have, on 25 April 2026 at 11:23 PM, posted on your verified X account (@mkatju) a highly offensive, derogatory, and blasphemous digital image.
The image deliberately superimposes the face of Mr. Donald Trump upon the sacred form of Bhagwan Vishnu, complete with blue skin, Sheshnag, peacock feather crown, Shankha, Chakra, Lotus, Gada and other divine attributes. A screenshot of the said post is annexed for your reference.
2. Despite seeing massive public outrage and strong condemnation from thousands of users on X and across social media, instead of deleting the offending post, you have posted the same post/image again. This clearly confirms your deliberate and malicious intent to insult and outrage the religious feelings of Hindus.
3. This act constitutes a deliberate and malicious insult to the religious beliefs and sentiments of crores of Hindus who revere Bhagwan Vishnu as a Supreme Deity of Sanatan Dharma. Your post is not an exercise of legitimate satire or freedom of expression but a calculated attempt to mock and denigrate Hindu faith.
4. As a retired Judge of the Supreme Court of India, you are expected to maintain the highest standards of judicial dignity, constitutional morality and respect for the religious feelings of citizens. Instead, you have repeatedly misused your platform to hurt Hindu sentiments.
5. The said post has caused widespread public outrage across the country. Thousands of citizens have strongly condemned your act on social media. Despite this massive backlash, you have shown complete indifference to the hurt and anguish caused to the Hindu community.
6. Your actions squarely attract the offences punishable under: – Section 299 BNS (Deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings) – Section 199 BNS (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion) – Section 197 & 353 BNS and other relevant provisions Read with provisions of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
7. You are hereby called upon to take note of the Hon’ble Supreme Court’s binding Order dated 28.04.2023 passed in Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay vs. Union of India (W.P.(C) No.943/2021), wherein the Apex Court has directed all States/UTs to register suo moto FIRs against acts that outrage religious feelings under Sections 153A, 153B, 295A, 505 IPC etc., without waiting for any formal complaint, irrespective of the religion or status of the offender.
Failure to act by authorities shall amount to contempt of the Supreme Court.
DEMANDS: You are hereby directed to:
a) Immediately delete the offending posts and all similar posts from your X account and all other digital platforms within 24 hours of receipt/notice of this Legal Notice.
b) Issue a public unconditional apology on your X handle @mkatju for hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus.
c) Undertake in writing that you shall refrain from any further acts of blasphemy or hurting religious sentiments of any community.
Please Take notice that in case you fail to comply with the above demands within the stipulated time, I shall be constrained to:
* Initiate appropriate criminal proceedings against you before the competent Court of law;
* File complaints before the Police for registration of FIR as per the Supreme Court directions; and
* Take all other legal remedies available to me under the law, including civil suit for damages.
This notice is sent to you without prejudice to my rights and contentions.
Amita Sachdeva Advocate-on-Record Supreme Court of India
Note: I have attached herewith two screenshots of comments by X users showing the widespread outrage and hurt caused by your post.
End of Notice-=-=-
However, as of now, there has been no public response from Markandey Katju regarding the claims made in the notice.
Katju is not new to this act of posting things that offend the sensibilities or sentiments of the common public (mostly Hindus, and Indians in general) unprovoked by them. Here is a list of a few of his actions that caused outrage amongst people.
1. 2015 Facebook post mocking Hindu practices and generalizing “stupidity of most Hindus” In a single post, Katju wrote that cows were “stupidly depicted as a mother”, that “looking down on Dalits showed ‘the stupidity of most Hindus'”, and criticized burqas/hijabs while calling Indian politicians alive only due to “the crass stupidity of most Indians” and noting that “babas and astrology have followers because the country is made up of ‘90% idiots'”. He also called Mahatma Gandhi a “British agent who did great harm to India”.
This directly targeted core Hindu symbols (cow reverence) and was seen as insulting Hindu society and faith. It sparked massive outrage and a court case (later dismissed after an apology).
2. Repeated claims that “90 per cent of Indians are fools/idiots” and “80 per cent of Hindus are communal” Katju has said this multiple times since at least 2012 (in columns, seminars, interviews, and social media). Examples include: “90 per cent of Indians are fools” as “the unpleasant truth” and “80% of Hindus and 80% of Muslims are communal”. He has reiterated it as recently as August 2025 in an X post defending his “jokes” while calling Indians unable to understand satire.
Many viewed this as a blanket insult to Indian (including Hindu) intelligence and national pride, leading to public anger and memes/criticism calling him elitist or anti-national.3. Repeatedly calling Mahatma Gandhi a “rascal” and “British agent” Katju has posted variations of this for years, including in 2024–2025 X posts such as: “Jinnah, like Gandhi, was a shameless rascal & British agent” and links/articles titled “The British agent Gandhi” or “Mahatma Gandhi was a British agent”. He ties it to his views on Partition as a “British swindle”.
This has angered millions who revere Gandhi as the Father of the Nation, with critics accusing him of distorting history and insulting a national icon.
4. November 2025 claim redefining Hindu identity as “hating Muslims” Katju posted that a “large section of Hindus in India” derive pride not from their own well-being but from “the pain they can inflict on Muslims”, and that “being a Hindu has been redefined as one who hates Muslims”.
This was widely condemned as vilifying Hindus and promoting division.
Other recurring provocations
1. In 2016, posted a “joke” on Odia people (on Facebook): Called Odias a “dejected lot” since Ashoka’s Kalinga battle, praying to Lord Jagannath for revenge on Biharis. This hurt regional sentiments and drew abuse/apologies demands.
2. Tweet praising Pakistani ladies as “more beautiful than Indian ladies”: Seen as insulting Indian women and national pride.
Katju often frames these as “jokes”, satire, or truth-telling (e.g., referencing his “90% fools” line when defending crude remarks), but critics argue they show a pattern of provocation, especially toward Hindu beliefs and Indian unity. He has faced calls for legal action, effigy burnings, and social media storms over the years.
Delhi High Court Action on Rana Ayyub’s Posts
Advocate Sachdeva further stated that posts by Rana Ayyub, which were part of a petition filed before the Delhi High Court, have been “withheld in India” pursuant to court orders.
By the blessings of Bhagwan Shri Krishna 🙏
Justice prevails!
All defamatory posts by @RanaAyyub, which formed part of our Petition before the Hon’ble Delhi High Court, have now been withheld in India pursuant to the Orders passed by the Hon’ble Court.
Heartfelt gratitude… pic.twitter.com/wsEkuDGNHC
— Amita Sachdeva, Advocate (@SachdevaAmita) April 26, 2026
While the exact content of the posts and the detailed court order were not immediately available in the public domain, the advocate described the development as a legal success for her side. Advocate Sachdeva had pinned her post from November 2024 when she had filed the complaint against Rana Ayub.
🚨 Today, I have officially filed a criminal complaint against @RanaAyyub for her repeated defamatory and provocative posts targeting Hindu deities, spreading anti-India sentiments, and maligning the Indian Army. Such behavior is unacceptable and hurts the sentiments of millions.… pic.twitter.com/YJM8zFHo5A
— Amita Sachdeva, Advocate (@SachdevaAmita) November 11, 2024
Legal Team and Representation
Sachdeva credited Senior Advocate Makarand D. Adkar for guiding the petition and acknowledged the efforts of her legal team in pursuing the matter before the court.
Awaiting Official Confirmation
Independent verification of the full court order and the specific of the legal notice is awaited. Neither Rana Ayyub nor Markandey Katju has issued a public statement at the time of publication.
