Criticism not just a human right but also a democratic one: Madras HC
The case brought against Kamal Hasan over a statement he made in 2017 was overturned by a single-judge bench of the Madras High Court, chaired by Justice G. Ilangovan, who noted that criticism is a necessary element of a free society and that it is a democratic right to openly express one's own opinions. (Aadhinatha Sundaram v. Kamal Hasan)
Kamal Hasan, the petitioner/accused, appeared on a show hosted by Thiru and broadcast on Puthiya Talaimurai TV Channel. The host posed a specific question on the rising violence against women in India, notably in the film industry, to which Kamal Hasan responded by bringing up the Hindu epic Mahabharata into the conversation. He added that the escalating violence against women in a nation that reveres Mahabharatha, which shows a lady being used as collateral for gambling, is unsurprising.
