Cartoonist Hemant Malviya to Delete Controversial Modi–RSS Caricature, Asked to Apologise Online Within 10 Days

The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday granted interim protection from arrest to well-known cartoonist Hemant Malviya, who has agreed to apologise publicly for a controversial caricature involving the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Appearing before a bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and NV Anjaria, Malviya, represented by Advocate Vrinda Grover, said that he had already tendered an apology in line with an earlier court direction. He further assured the court that he would delete the cartoon from all platforms and post a written apology on his social media accounts, including Facebook and Instagram.

However, Additional Solicitor General KM Nataraj, representing the State of Madhya Pradesh, objected to the deletion of the post during the investigation, stating that it was a crucial piece of evidence.

The Court struck a balance, directing Malviya to publish the apology within 10 days while extending his interim protection until the next hearing.

The case arises from an FIR filed in Madhya Pradesh, where Malviya was accused of sharing a cartoon depicting a man in RSS attire with Prime Minister Modi holding a syringe. The imagery, coupled with references to Lord Shiva, was deemed offensive by the Madhya Pradesh High Court, which had earlier denied him anticipatory bail.

During an earlier hearing on 15 July, the Supreme Court itself had criticised some of Malviya’s work as “provocative” and “immature,” cautioning against the misuse of online platforms to spread offensive material.