Katju sued for calling 90% of Indians idiot

LUCKNOW: Two students from Lucknow have sent a legal notice to Press Council of India chairperson Justice Markandey Katju for his comment at a seminar last week that "90% of Indians were idiots."

The notice to Katju was sent by law student Tanaya Thakur and her brother, Class XI student Aditya Thakur.

Both said they found the comments hurtful: "We are deeply hurt and humiliated by Justice Katju's words," the duo said Monday, adding that Justice Katju's statements "would depreciate the reputation of India and its citizens".

"A person of Justice Katju's stature should have deliberated on the implications of his statement," they told IANS, and sought a public apology from the former Supreme Court judge.

The students said that if a public apology was not forthcoming, they would move the court in a month's time.

At a seminar in New Delhi last week, Justice Katju had claimed that at least 90 percent of Indians are "idiots", easily be misled by mischievous elements in the name of religion.

"I say ninety percent of Indians are idiots. You people don't have brains in your heads... It is so easy to take you for a ride," he was quoted as saying at the seminar.

He said that a communal riot could be set off in Delhi for a palty sum of Rs 2000 as all somebody has to do is disrespect a place of worship and people will start fighting.

"You mad people will start fighting amongst yourself not realising that some agent provocateur is behind this," he said. 

Calling 80 per cent of Hindus and Muslims communal, Katju said that this is the bitter truth that he was saying.

Blaming the English regime for this crisis, the retired Supreme Court judge said that it was the policy of the regime post the 1857 revolt to control the country.

He further said that he was saying such things to make Indians understand what was happening and not to remain fools. (Agencies)