'Jai Shri Ram' slogan in mosque a crime? SC to decide

SC WONDERED IF A SHOUTING OF RELIGIOUS SLOGAN COULD INVOKE CHARGES OF OUTRAGING THE RELIGIOUS SENTIMENTS

- Utkarsh Anand

NEW DELHI: Is it a crime to shout "Jai Shri Ram" inside a mosque? That's the question the Supreme Court on Monday deliberated, at a broader level, when it wondered whether shouting religious slogans in a place of worship belonging to a different religion violated any Indian law.

A bench comprising justices Pankaj Mithal and Sandeep Mehta sought a response from the Karnataka government on a petition challenging the Karnataka high court's decision to quash criminal proceedings against individuals accused of raising "Jai Shri Ram" slogans inside a mosque.

Even as the bench refrained from issuing notice without hearing the state, it wondered if a mere shouting of religious slogans could invoke charges of outraging the religious sentiments of some other community.