Singer Yo Yo Honey Singh
Credit: X/@asliyoyo
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday rapped a lawyer for using the phrase Bhojpuri vulgarity" during an argument, as it refused to entertain a plea which claimed Honey Singh's latest song Maniac portrays women as "sexual objects" and he should be directed to amend the lyrics.
A bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Tushar Rao Gedela took strong exception to the submission of petitioner's counsel that there was "Bhojpuri vulgarity" in the song.
"What is this 'Bhojpuri vulgarity'? Vulgarity does not have any religion or region. It should be unqualified. Never ever say Bhojpuri vulgarity. What is this? Vulgar is vulgar. Obscene is obscene. Tomorrow you will say Delhi is vulgar. Vulgarity is vulgarity. No region," the bench said.
As the counsel said the song was gaining popularity on the Internet and action should be taken, the bench said if he was aggrieved by the lyrics of the song, he should lodge an FIR.
"We cannot issue any writ. Writs are issued against states, State instrumentality. Your matter is not in public law. It is in private law. If you are hurt from obscenity, then there is remedy under the criminal law system. Lodge an FIR or a complaint," the court said.
The court added that the petition does not lie under the realm of public law and it was not inclined to entertain it.
With the bench inclined to dismiss the plea, the petitioner's counsel sought to withdraw the petition.
In his plea, the petitioner alleged that the song promoted explicit sexualisation, used double entendre, by depicting women as objects of sexual desire.
The plea said the song had garnered significant attention for its vulgar and explicit content and its lyrics are filled with crass language, objectification of women and inappropriate references contributing to a culture of disrespect and sexism.