The Bombay High Court sought to know from a social worker how his plea against Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari's recent remarks on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and social reformer Savitiribai Phule was a public interest litigation.
A division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Abhay Ahuja also asked the petitioner how the court could pass orders restraining the governor from speaking.
The PIL, filed by one Deepak Mavla through his advocate Nitin Satpute, sought impeachment proceedings to be initiated against Koshyari for his alleged defamatory and mocking statements against Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and social reformers Savitribai Phule and Jyotiba Phule.
Satpute mentioned the PIL before the bench seeking urgent hearing. How is this a public interest litigation? And can we restrain? Chief Justice Datta asked. The court said it would peruse the petition and then decide when to post the matter for hearing.