FIR registered in alleged Theog hate speech case; Investigation begins
Shimla, Nov 23,
The Himachal Pradesh Police has formally registered an FIR against public figure Ajay Shyam in the alleged hate speech case that recently drew sharp public outrage and a detailed written complaint from Shimla resident Atul Sharma. The FIR, registered on November 22 at Police Station Kumarsain, marks the first official step in the legal proceedings against Shyam under multiple stringent provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.
According to the FIR (No. 0067/2025), the police have invoked Sections 299, 352, 353(1)(c), and 196(1) of the BNS—provisions related to insulting religion, promoting enmity, provoking public disorder, and assertions prejudicial to national integration. The alleged incident occurred on November 17 at Kyara in Theog, where Shyam reportedly addressed a gathering in the presence of schoolchildren.
The FIR records the same speech excerpts that had triggered the complaint, in which Shyam is accused of making remarks that allegedly undermined Hindu/Sanatani religious rituals and sentiments. The complainant argues that the speech constituted hate speech, blasphemy, and a deliberate attempt to incite communal disharmony. Sharma had earlier described the situation as a “cultural emergency,” urging authorities to take immediate action.
The police documents note that evidence in the form of recorded videos shared via Facebook links was part of the complaint, alongside detailed allegations of deliberate religious insult, historical distortion, and provocation that could disturb public order. These links are also referenced in the FIR for investigative scrutiny.
With the FIR now registered, the matter enters the investigative stage. The complainant, Atul Sharma, has termed the development a “necessary and decisive step toward safeguarding communal harmony.” The police are expected to examine digital evidence, record witness statements, and verify the context of the alleged speech in the coming days.
More details are awaited from law enforcement as the investigation progresses.
Noteworthy that Ajay Shyam first came into prominence nationally when he lodged a sedition complaint against veteran journalist Vinod Dua in 2020, alleging that Dua’s YouTube show critically analysed government handling of Covid-19 and thus amounted to “conducive to public mischief” under sedition laws. Now, in a separate development, Shyam is the accused in Himachal Pradesh for alleged hate speech, which has triggered demands for prosecution under multiple stringent sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
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