Finding it impractical to ban Sardar jokes, the Supreme Court may consider framing guidelines to protect the sentiments of the Sikh community.
Hearing separate PIls filed by a lawyer Harvinder Chaudhary and the Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee, the Bench headed by Chief Justice TS Thakur gave six weeks to both petitioners to come with suggestions on possible judicial directions that can be issued on this subject.
Supporting the petition initially filed by Chaudhary, senior advocate RS Suri, who appeared for the Gurudwara Committee, said that it was against jokes that ridiculed a community, whether it was Sikhs in Punjab, Biharis in north India or persons from the North-East.
Suri said that jokes circulating on social media often cause a racist or communal slur which can only be avoided by sensitising youngsters. The Committee agreed to give suggestions in this regard on how jokes that ridicules a community can be regulated.
Both petitioners said that singling out one community was discriminatory and an insult to the contribution made by them, particularly when the community has produced some of the best brains who have served the country as President and Prime Minister in the past.
At this juncture, CJI Thakur reminded the petitioners, “And shortly, you will even have a CJI from your community.” He was referring to Justice JS Khehar who is slated to take over as the next Chief Justice of India.