Artists from Karnataka take part in a religious procession to mark Parshuram Jayanti. Recently a post comparing the god to a film character had created a stir. (Photo: Reuters)

The Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court recently observed that "in India, the absence of humour the tolerance level of people has sunk to a shocking low". The court was hearing a petition filed by a Nanded resident, Ganesh Pensalwar, who found a Facebook post of a person from Parbhani, offensive.

The post by Ashok Deshmukh showed a photograph of Lord Parshuram along with a photograph of a hero from the hit Marathi film Sairat whose character name was Parshya. Along with the two pictures, a question was put up -- "Tumcha aavadta parshya kon?" (Which Parshya do you like more?)

Twenty-seven-year-old Ashok's Facebook friends, Kundalik Deshmukh, Ravi Sawant, Gajanan Hendge and Subhash Javde from Parbhani and Latur had liked the post and posted a few comments which the court noted were referring to superstition present in Hindu epics and the Puranas. The comments were not liked by Pensalwar who felt that these people had "hurt the feelings of Hindus".

Pensalwar got into a spat with Deshmukh and his friends, and started questioning their beliefs. After this, Pensalwar went ahead and registered a case with the Vazirabad police station in Nanded.

Deshmukh and his friends, on the other hand, said that though they are Hindus, they are critical of superstitions.

In the order passed earlier this month by the Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court, the court said, "We live in a world based on rationality and there is no escape from it. Rationality has stood the test of time. We cannot return to the medieval age. We also need to keep in mind that the political revolution, the industrial revolution and urbanization have affected religion profoundly. Many may be religious but still be critical."

The court further added, "In a democracy, all such persons are required to live together and there is no other alternative to it."

In its 15-page order, the court said that Pensalwar could have taken the post in good humour like many who believe in God did. It said that those who seek to gain a political advantage by raising such issues, want to create a rift in the society or those who are oversensitive and take such posts seriously, have created problems for our society.

While coming to a decision of quashing the FIR against Deshmukh and others, the bench noted that Deshmukh and others had no intention of hurting anyone's religion, caste or community.

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