SC stays criminal proceedings against Swami Prasad Maurya over remarks on Ramcharit Manas

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed criminal proceedings against Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Swami Prasad Maurya in the case where he has been accused of having made "objectionable" remarks about 'Ramcharit Manas', a sacred text in the Awadhi language based on the epic Ramayana.

The apex court also issued notice and sought a response from the Uttar Pradesh government on Maurya's plea challenging an order of the Allahabad High Court, which had dismissed his petition seeking quashing of the proceedings pending in a Pratapgarh court in the state.

"Why you have to be so touchy? It's is a matter of interpretation. How is it an offence?" a bench of Justices B R Gavai and Sandeep Mehta asked the counsel appearing for Uttar Pradesh.

"Notice… Stay of proceedings," the bench said.

The court's direction came days after the consecration of the idol of 'Ram Lalla', the infant Lord Ram, the presiding deity of the newly-built Ram temple in Ayodhya.

In his petition before the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court, Maurya had challenged the charge sheet filed against him as well as the summoning order passed by a lower court directing him to appear before it in the case.

The high court had on October 31, 2023 dismissed his plea.

An FIR was lodged in Pratapgarh district last year against Maurya and others on a complaint by a local resident Santosh Kumar Mishra.

Police submitted a charge sheet against Maurya and others in a lower court, which issued summonses to them.

Maurya has claimed there was no evidence against him to corroborate the charge that he vilified the Hindu religious text.