WSO Stands With Prashant Bhushan

Ottawa (August 31, 2020):  The World Sikh Organization of Canada stands in solidarity with lawyer Prashant Bhushan who was fined one Rupee by the Supreme Court of India (SCI) for tweets critical of the court and its Chief Justice.  Last June, Bhushan posted a single sentence tweet about eroding freedoms in India and the role of the SCI. 

The SCI took suo motu notice of the tweets and initiated contempt of court proceedings against Bhushan.  Bhushan was found guilty by the court on August 14.

WSO President Tejinder Singh Sidhu said today,

“Prashant Bhushan’s strength and courage have been inspirational throughout his legal career and his most recent decision to not apologize for his criticism of the Supreme Court of India has been no different.  There is no question that India is facing a human rights crisis and the role of the judiciary has been incredibly disappointing.  Prashant Bhushan’s conviction for contempt of court has galvanized the legal and human rights communities in India and is a wakeup call against growing authoritarianism and the crackdown on freedom of expression.  We salute Prashant’s courage and are proud to call him a friend.”

The World Sikh Organization of Canada (WSO) is a non-profit organization with a mandate to promote and protect the interests of Canadian Sikhs, as well as to promote and advocate for the protection of human rights for all individuals.