Lawyer Sues YouTuber Dhruv Rathee Over Religious Sentiments
A civil suit has been filed against YouTuber Dhruv Rathee seeking ₹50 lakh in damages for allegedly hurting religious sentiments.
A civil suit has been filed against popular YouTuber Dhruv Rathee in Delhi, with complainants seeking significant damages and a legal restraint on his content creation. The lawsuit, filed by an advocate and several others identifying as Hindu devotees, alleges that Rathee’s content has caused deep hurt to religious sentiments.
Claims of Defamatory Content
The plaintiffs, including Amita Sachdeva, have targeted a specific video titled “Can Hindus Eat BEEF?” The lawsuit alleges that the content contains statements regarding Maryada Purushottam Bhagwan Shri Ram, Sita Maa, and Yogeshwar Bhagwan Shri Krishna that are "ex facie false, selective, misleading and highly offensive."
The complainants argue that these statements, which are permanently available on a widely accessible platform, are defamatory. They claim the content is designed to lower the dignity, sanctity, and reputation of these deities in the eyes of society, thereby directly impacting the religious identity and self-esteem of the devotees.
Demands for ₹50 Lakh in Damages
The legal action is not merely seeking an apology but carries a heavy financial demand. The plaintiffs have requested:
- Financial Damages: At least Rs 50 lakh in damages.
- Religious Reinvestment: A prayer that any awarded damages be deposited in court to be used for the welfare, maintenance, and upkeep of temples dedicated to Bhagwan Shri Ram, Maa Sita, and Bhagwan Shri Krishna.
- Content Removal: An immediate direction to Rathee to delete the video from his YouTube channel and all other accounts under his control.
Legal Injunctions Sought
The lawsuit seeks an ex-parte ad-interim injunction to prevent Dhruv Rathee and his agents from creating, uploading, or sharing any content similar to the controversial video during the pendency of the suit. Furthermore, the plaintiffs have moved to restrain Google from hosting or disseminating the video or any identical content within India.
District Judge Mohinder Virat took up the matter on Wednesday. The court has scheduled the matter for further consideration on November 5. Advocate Makrand D Adkar represented the complainant in the proceedings.