Bombay HC dismisses PIL against use of 'Satyameva Jayate' in TV prog

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court on Tuesday dismissed a public interest litigation that objected to the use of "satyameva Jayate" in a television programme anchored by film star Aamir Khan.
The PIL filed by activist Monoranjan Roy against the actor, the TV channel said the use of the words violated the law. But dismissed the PIL a bench of Justices Abhay Oka and Amjad Sayed said,"Under the State Emblem of India (Prohibition and Impropee Use) Act and State Emblem of India (Regulation of Use) Rules prohibition is only for the use of the Emblem as awhole and not the motto 'Satyameva Jayate' separately."
"There is no merits in the petition to show that the programme's logo is an imitatiom of the Emblem.Hence sections 3 and 4 of the Act are not attracted," the court said.
The petitioner through his lawyer, argued that even the use of the motto is prohibited as it amounts to violation under the Act. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs in its affidavit filed in court said the use of the phrase 'Satyameva Jayate'was not violative of the Act and Rules.
Even in his arguments, additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, appearing forthe union ministry of Home Affairs and Information and Broadcasting, had said that the words 'SatyamevaJayate' is only the motto of the Emblem. "Use of Emblem as awhole is specifically prohibited under the Act. Use of the motto is not prohibited," Singh said. "The Act and Rules prohibits improper use of the State Emblem of India as a whole. There is no provision which
prohibits the use of its part like 'Satyameva Jayate', the lion, the bull, the horse and so on," said Pradeep Pandey, under secretary Ministry of Home Affairs in his affidavit.