Reprehensible’: Justice Sudarshan Reddy Condemns Abusive Remarks Against Women Officers

Hyderabad:Justice B. Sudarshan Reddy, a retired Supreme Court judge and former Lokayukta of Goa, on January 13 condemned the use of indecorous and abusive language against officials and warned that irresponsible exercise of free speech, especially against women officers, carries serious consequences for society.

In a statement issued in Hyderabad, Justice B. Sudarshan Reddy said freedom of expression guaranteed by the Constitution remains one of the most precious rights and forms the lifeblood of society. He cautioned, however, that the Constitution does not protect unbridled or limitless liberty.

Justice Reddy took strong exception to recent media narratives that violated the personal privacy of a woman IAS officer. He said the use of freedom of expression on social media platforms and in mainstream media without a sense of responsibility is fraught with danger and invites proportionate regulation and control, which itself poses a grave peril.

He said when self-restraint and accountability towards society are absent, it would be wiser for individuals to voluntarily give up the exercise of such freedom rather than allow restrictions to be imposed by others.

The former judge described as reprehensible and deplorable the practice of hurling indecent, irresponsible and discourteous remarks or abusive outcries against young women officers who discharge their duties with efficiency and integrity. He said such conduct, carried out under the guise of free speech, amounts to an affront to their dignity, an attack on their personality and a dangerous expression of patriarchal thinking.