In a significant legal development, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has turned down the anticipatory bail application of popular Bhojpuri singer and YouTuber Neha Singh Rathore. The plea was related to a case filed against her for allegedly making indecent remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Case and the Court's Decision
The court's rejection means the singer remains under the threat of potential arrest in connection with the First Information Report (FIR) registered earlier this year. The case was filed at the Hazratganj Police Station in Lucknow based on comments she made in April 2025.
Multiple FIRs have been lodged against Rathore concerning her statements about the Prime Minister. The core issue pertains to remarks she made in the context of a tragic attack that occurred in April 2025.
Details of the Controversial Posts
On April 23, 2025, Neha Singh Rathore took to her X (formerly Twitter) account to voice strong opinions. In her post, she accused the government led by PM Modi of engaging in politics based on caste and religion. She further alleged that a specific attack was a result of intelligence and security failures at the central level.
Rathore also suggested that the ruling party might exploit the tragedy for electoral gains. In a separate post, she criticized the perceived insensitivity of the ruling party, which involved the display of a cartoon depicting a grieving widow from the same attack.
The Singer's Defense and the Attack Background
Meanwhile, Rathore has defended her comments. In an earlier interview with the news agency ANI, she claimed her words were misinterpreted. "That was not a song; it was a statement regarding the attack in which many people lost their lives," she stated. "I asked the PM about the security arrangements for the tourists at that place. And just because of this, complaints and FIRs have been lodged against me at many places."
The attack in question took place on April 22, 2025, and claimed 26 lives, including one Nepali national. The complaint against the singer, filed by poet Abhay Pratap Singh (also known as Abhay Singh), alleged that her social media posts had the potential to spread caste-based hatred and anti-national sentiments, leading to the police action.
The rejection of the anticipatory bail plea marks a critical point in this legal battle, highlighting the ongoing tensions between freedom of expression and legal accountability for public statements made against high-ranking officials in India.
