Delhi High Court Bashes Honey Singh’s Plea By Saying, 'Vulgarity Has No Religion..'

The Delhi High Court dismissed a petition that sought to force singer and rapper Yo Yo Honey Singh to change the lyrics of his latest song, Maniac, on Wednesday, March 26. The plea claimed that the song contained Bhojpuri lyrics that objectified women, but the court dismissed it, stating that “vulgarity doesn't have any religion.”

According to Bar and Bench, the Delhi High Court bench, led by Chief Justice DK Upadhyay and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, made these remarks while hearing a petition filed by Luv Kush Kumar. His lawyer argued that the song allegedly promoted vulgarity by using Bhojpuri language and portrayed women in a sexualized manner.

Vulgarity doesn’t have any religion. It should be unqualified. Never ever say Bhojpuri vulgarity. What is this? Vulgar is vulgar. Obscene is obscene

- The bench told Kumar’s counsel

In his petition, Kumar asserted that the song encouraged explicit sexualization and utilized double entendres, depicting women as “objects of sexual desire.” He also mentioned that the song had garnered significant attention due to its vulgar and explicit nature, featuring lyrics that contained crude language, objectified women, and included inappropriate references, thus promoting a culture of disrespect and sexism.

The court noted that Kumar’s petition was not maintainable as he was seeking relief against a private individual. “We can’t issue any writ. Writs are issue against states, state instrumentality. Your matter is not in the realm of public law but private law. Writ petition would not lie,” the bench stated.

The court suggested that Kumar consider exploring other legal avenues, such as filing a criminal case. It highlighted that if the issue constituted a cognizable offence, he could file an FIR and follow the required procedures if it wasn’t registered. Following the court’s advice, Kumar opted to withdraw his plea.

For those who may not be aware, actress Neetu Chandra had called upon the court to issue appropriate directives to modify the lyrics of the song and regulate the content of such songs.

She also urged the Patna High Court to direct the relevant authorities to amend the obscene and derogatory lyrics of Maniac. The petition listed the song’s singers, Yo Yo Honey Singh, Leo Grewal, and Ragini Vishwakarma, along with T-Series, Google, and YouTube, as respondents.