High Court stays teacher’s suspension for PM Modi mimicry:Orders officials not to act under pressure

The Madhya Pradesh High Court’s Gwalior bench has stayed the suspension of a primary school teacher who was suspended over a video mimicking Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The court observed that merely having the authority to suspend is not enough; such power must be exercised judiciously and based on solid grounds. It stayed the suspension order and directed authorities to reconsider the matter. Background of the case The case involves Saket Kumar Purohit, a primary school teacher from Shivpuri district, who was suspended on March 13, 2026, after posting a video on Facebook. In the video, he commented on rising LPG cylinder prices while mimicking the Prime Minister’s style of speech. Complaint by BJP MLA led to action Following a complaint by BJP MLA Pritam Lodhi, the education department took immediate action. The teacher was suspended and attached to the BEO office in Badarwas. In his petition, the teacher argued that the video contained nothing objectionable and that the suspension was carried out hastily without an independent inquiry. What the teacher said in the video In the mimicry video, the teacher, imitating the Prime Minister, said: My dear brothers and sisters… have gas prices come down? No… have they increased? Yes, they have. He further added, Eating food cooked on gas also creates gas in the stomach. If you fall sick, the country will also fall sick… He concluded with a satirical remark that rising gas prices would force both rich and poor to eat food cooked on traditional stoves, thereby reducing inequality. Government’s argument in court During the hearing, the state government argued that suspension is not a punishment but an interim measure to ensure a fair investigation. Court’s observation on suspension powers However, the single bench of Justice Ashish Shroti remarked that suspension powers must be used carefully and not merely because the authority exists. The court also noted that the immediate action following the complaint raised questions about the independent application of mind by the official, and that 2005 government guidelines were not followed. Court orders fresh decision Terming the suspension order prima facie flawed, the court stayed it and directed the concerned authorities to take a fresh decision after considering all facts and applicable rules.