Naik said Bapat may be an atheist, but such beliefs should remain within the boundaries of his constitutional rights. He said that when Bapat comes into the public domain, he must respect the wishes and expectations of everyone. Naik also remarked that if Bapat is troubled to such an extent, he should go and live in the Amazon rainforest and display his atheism before the animals there.

Explaining the legal notice, Adv. Pradeep Naik said that Maharashtra, particularly Pune, the cultural capital, is witnessing the Ganeshotsav with great enthusiasm. At such a time, he alleged that a person named Vidyanand Bapat, described by him as a purported speaker, made statements such as “What is the connection with Bappa?” and attempted to insult Bappa and hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus.

Naik said he had issued a legal notice to Bapat in opposition to the alleged remarks. He stated that religious beliefs cannot be insulted in the name of freedom of expression. Referring to Article 25 of the Constitution of India, Naik said every person has the freedom to practise and propagate their religion. According to him, this does not mean that anyone can hurt religious sentiments or insult Hindu gods and goddesses with a malicious intention.

Naik said Bapat could certainly have an opinion on noise pollution or other issues and has the right to express such views through lawful and constitutional means. However, he said the Constitution does not grant anyone the right to make offensive remarks about Ganpati Bappa or Hindu religious beliefs or to ridicule them.

According to the legal notice, such conduct constitutes a serious offence under Section 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and other relevant provisions. Naik has demanded that Bapat issue an unconditional public apology without imposing any conditions within the next 48 hours. If he fails to do so, Naik warned that strict legal action would be initiated before the cyber police, police administration and court on the basis of available video and electronic evidence.

In the legal notice issued to Vidyanand Bapat over alleged offensive statements concerning the Pune Ganeshotsav and religious beliefs, Adv. Pradeep Naik stated that freedom of expression cannot be used to insult religious faith. He said Article 25 of the Indian Constitution provides every citizen with the freedom to follow, practise and propagate their religion.

Naik further stated that the right to freedom of expression is not absolute and that the Constitution does not give anyone the right to hurt the religious sentiments of others or insult gods and goddesses with a malicious intention. He said everyone has the right to express views through lawful and constitutional means on public festivals, celebrations or issues such as noise pollution. However, he maintained that ridiculing or making insulting remarks about Lord Ganesha, “Ganpati Bappa” or Hindu religious beliefs is not appropriate.

The notice states that offensive and deliberate statements of this nature may constitute an offence under Section 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and other relevant legal provisions. Naik therefore demanded that Bapat issue an unconditional public apology within 48 hours. He also warned that if this is not done, legal action would be taken before the cyber police, police administration and the concerned court based on available video and electronic evidence.

The notice also states that Bapat has been asked to provide a written explanation within 48 hours of receiving it and publicly and unconditionally apologise to Hindu devotees. If no satisfactory explanation is provided within the stipulated period, the notice warns of criminal and other legal action.

Naik has further warned that if Bapat does not provide an explanation or continues the alleged conduct, a criminal complaint will be filed before the cyber police, concerned police officers and the court under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, based on videos, electronic evidence and other material. The notice states that Bapat would be responsible for the subsequent legal proceedings.

The notice also asks that any dissemination of the alleged offensive statement on social media be stopped. It directs that the original video, unedited recording, audio, digital files, social media posts, metadata and other electronic evidence should not be destroyed or tampered with and should instead be preserved safely.

The dispute has therefore moved beyond the alleged remarks, with the legal notice setting a 48-hour deadline for a response and unconditional public apology and warning of further criminal and legal proceedings if the demand is not met.