Islamic cleric Maulana Sajid Rashidi landed himself in legal trouble after he made allegedly offensive and misogynistic comments against Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav, which evoked strong criticism in political and civil society circles.
The Lucknow Police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against him after the furore.
The comments, which caused outrage, were made on a TV debate and are said to have been repeated on other public platforms. Several found the statement not just inflammatory and disrespectful but also communal.
The FIR was registered on Saturday by Pravesh Yadav, an SP member from Vikalp Khand, Gomtinagar. He has accused Maulana Sajid of trying to tarnish the image of Dimple Yadav and spreading religious animosity.
This is not only about Dimple Yadav. Such remarks offend every woman and are dangerous for social harmony," Pravesh Yadav said in his complaint.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (East Zone), Shashank Singh, confirmed that the case has been filed at Vibhutikhand police station under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including:
Section 79 – for outraging a woman's modesty
Section 196 – for provoking enmity between various communities
Section 299 – for causing hurt to religious sentiments
Section 352 – for intentional insult
Further, authorities have also used Section 67 of the Information Technology Act, dealing with the transmission of obscene or objectionable digital content.
The furor started after Maulana Sajid Rashidi made a comment on Dimple Yadav's attire, pointing out that she didn't cover her head, at a Samajwadi Party gathering at the Sansad Marg mosque in Delhi. His remarks, considered by many to be very sexist and regressive, contained a slur that saw a strong reaction.
Dimple Yadav, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, and MP Iqra Hasan had attended the meeting. Images from the gathering, widely shared on social media and news outlets, formed the foundation of Rashidi's criticism against Yadav.
The comments invited widespread condemnation across party lines by political leaders, women's rights groups, and assorted civil society groups. The comments were branded anti-women and provocative in nature by critics, calling for strict legal action.
Most were troubled by the mobilization of religious language to humiliate women in public life and called for tackling hate speech and gendered abuse, particularly from public figures who use media channels.
Police have promised to pursue the case thoroughly, in accordance with the increasing consensus that public figures should be brought to book when their utterances risk undermining gender equality or social harmony.
