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Synopsis

The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, said that it will hear next week the petition seeking contempt proceedings against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey for his controversial statements about the top court and the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna.

The matter was mentioned before a bench of Justices B.R. Gavai and Augustine George Masih today.

Appearing for the petitioner, Advocate Narendra Mishra told the Court that the Attorney General of India had not taken any action in the matter. "He (Dubey) said that the Chief Justice of India is responsible for civil wars in India," Mishra said. 

He added that after Dubey's speech went viral, social media users began using derogatory phrases against the Supreme Court.

Mishra also filed a letter before the Supreme Court of India seeking to initiate criminal contempt proceedings against BJP MP Nishikant Dubey for his 'derogatory' and 'inflammatory public statements' against the top court and CJI Sanjiv Khanna.

The matter had also been mentioned yesterday before the same bench. In the last hearing, the petitioner had sought the court's permission to file the contempt case.

Upon hearing this, the bench had informed the petitioner that he didn't require the court's permission in order to file a contempt case.

However, the bench made it clear that the petitioner would still need the Attorney General’s permission to initiate criminal contempt proceedings.

Notably, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, during an interview with Asian News International (ANI), said that Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna was “inciting civil wars in the country.

Taking note of Dubey's remarks, Advocate Anas Tanwir, representing some petitioners in the Waqf matter, later wrote a letter to the Attorney General asking for grant of permission to initiate criminal contempt proceedings against Dubey 

"I am writing this letter under Section 15(1)(b) of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, read with Rule 3(c) of the Rules to Regulate Proceedings for Contempt of the Supreme Court, 1975, to humbly seek your kind consent for initiating criminal contempt proceedings against Shri Nishikant Dubey, Hon'ble Member of Lok Sabha from Godda parliamentary constituency in Jharkhand, for statements made by him in public that are grossly scandalous, misleading, and aimed at lowering the dignity and authority of the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India," the letter stated.

In his letter, Tanwir described Dubey's remarks as grossly scandalous, misleading, and provocative. He also added that the remarks not only scandalised the judiciary but also eroded public trust.