Delhi Lawyers File Police Complaint Against Activist Nishu Azad Over Alleged Insults to Hindu Deities

Two lawyers practising in the capital decided they had had enough. On a rainy Saturday morning they walked into the Sansad Marg police station and formally complained that activist Nishu Azad – together with her father – had apparently used social‑media to demean Hindu gods and goddesses.

Advocate Amita Sachdeva told ANI that she stumbled upon a series of old tweets on “X” that, in her view, crossed the line of decency. “She called goddess Durga a ‘vaishya’, she ridiculed goddess Saraswati – it was just plain mockery,” she said, shaking her head. Sachdeva said she gave Azad a chance to delete the posts, setting a deadline of 1 p.m. on the same day. “They didn’t do it. Neither she nor her dad. So I was forced to file a complaint,” she added, noting that the police promised to look into the matter.

Another lawyer, Anurag Gupta, echoed the frustration. “These foul‑mouthed individuals need to be stopped. If every Hindun across the country filed a complaint, they would think twice before spewing such abuse,” he said outside the police station. Gupta warned that if the station house officer (SHO) failed to register the case, they would take it to the District Commissioner and, if necessary, directly to the Supreme Court.

The two advocates were not the only legal voices that day. Advocate Prateek Jha also turned up at Parliament Street police station, submitting a written representation that accused Delhi Police of “double standards” in handling protests at Jantar Mantar. He pointed to a July 21 gathering that, according to him, was met with “many atrocities” against the protesters, while a later protest by a different group was swiftly dispersed.

Azad, who is also known for her role in the CJP (Common People’s Justice) movement, responded to the allegations with a mixture of gratitude and defiance. “We are thankful that the police arrested Swatantra Bhardwaj, but the threat still hangs over us – his supporters are harassing my father and me,” she told ANI. When asked about the lawyers’ demands, she retorted, “They are making illegal requests to send my father to jail. Don’t stoop so low.”

The incident has sparked a broader conversation about the thin line between freedom of expression and religious offense in India’s digital age. While the police have said they will act, the advocates have made it clear they will not sit back if the complaint is ignored. Whether the case proceeds to the courts, and how it might shape the discourse on online speech, remains to be seen.