‘Law-making cannot be as per Naxalites’ idea’: Solicitor General’s remarks kick off heated debate in SC
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta faced criticism in the Supreme Court for remarking that law-making cannot be based on 'Naxalite ideas' during a hearing on the Vande Mataram penal protection case. Senior advocate S. Muralidhar protested the comment, calling it offensive and unbecoming of a government law officer.
Why it matters
The exchange highlights ongoing tensions regarding judicial decorum and the government's approach to dissent and constitutional law.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta’s comments during the hearing of a plea challenging the penal protection to Vande Mataram, invited objections in the courtroom on Tuesday (September 22, 2026), as he remarked that “law-making cannot be as per Naxalites’ idea.”
The Supreme Court had taken up a plea filed by renowned Carnatic vocalist and author T.M. Krishna challenging the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Act, 2026 read with the administrative directions issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs in January and a subsequent circular in July.
During the hearing, a debate in the courtroom ensued about how the law-making process, and whether the 2026 amendment and the government circulars “choke the rights of conscientious objectors.”
Interjecting in the discussion, Mr. Mehta said, “let us not bag the National Song in sensationalism”.
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