The Allahabad High Court on Tuesday rejected a petition seeking to quash an FIR lodged against a 24-year-old man for allegedly posting derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi on social media following the India-Pakistan ceasefire agreement on May 10, 2025.

A division bench of Justices JJ Munir and Anil Kumar-X dismissed the plea, observing that the petitioner had used “scurrilous language” against the Head of the Government.

The Court held that emotional outbursts cannot justify the use of disrespectful language against constitutional authorities.

“A post written by the petitioner against the Prime Minister regarding his decision to desist from war etc. carries scurrilous language against the Head of the Government... Emotions cannot be permitted to overflow to an extent that Constitutional Authorities of the country are dragged into disrepute by employment of disrespectful words,” the Court observed.

The court declined to exercise its jurisdiction under Article 226 of the Constitution, stating that it was not a fit case for interference with the FIR.

The petitioner, Ajeet Yadav, is facing charges under Sections 352 [intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace], 152 [act endangering sovereignty, unity and integrity of India], 196(1) [promoting enmity between different groups], and 353(2) [statements conducing to public mischief] of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), over three alleged Facebook posts.

According to the FIR, Yadav had used several derogatory terms for the Prime Minister, calling him a “hijra” and a “coward,” while criticising the decision to agree to a ceasefire after a four-day military standoff with Pakistan. One of the phrases attributed to him in the FIR reads: “Name Narendra, work surrender.”

While Yadav’s counsel argued that the posts were made in a moment of emotional agitation, the Court held that such conduct could not be condoned in law.

Advocates Sanjay Kumar Yadav and Prateek Pratap Singh appeared for the petitioner.