India, Sept. 26 -- Does abusing a popular socio-political leader amount to insulting their religion? The police in Latur assumed so and booked a businessman in December 2023 for outraging religious feelings after he abused Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil during a drunken brawl. The Bombay High Court, however, held that 'religious feelings' were not the same as 'wounded pride' or 'political sentiments' and set aside the first information report against the businessman.

"The socio-political figure may be admired or followed by several persons. But criticism or even crude abuses directed upon such figures - however disrespectful or derogatory - may not be translated into an insult to a religion or a deliberate attempt to outrage ...