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What happened
The Supreme Court allowed a retired civil servant to withdraw a petition seeking removal of the portrait of Hindutva ideologue V.D. Savarkar from public buildings, including Parliament. A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant criticised the petitioner, Chennai-based former Indian Revenue Service officer B. Balamurugan, for wasting court time with “frivolous petitions”. The court gave Balamurugan a choice to withdraw the plea or face costs of ₹1 lakh, and he chose to withdraw. Balamurugan said the petition was filed in public interest.
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Key insights
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Court signaled intolerance for petitions it views as frivolous: The Bench warned of ₹1 lakh costs and criticised the plea as a waste of court time.
Takeaways
The petition seeking removal of Savarkar’s portrait from public buildings was withdrawn in the Supreme Court under criticism and a warning of costs.