Two Comic Strips Led to Contempt Proceedings Against 'Sanitary Panels' Cartoonist: All You Need to Know

India's Attorney General AK Venugopal gave his consent on Thursday to a law student for initiating contempt proceedings against cartoonist Rachna Taneja. The case is based on two caricatures that the cartoonist had shared on the social media handles of her comic page 'Sanitary Panels'.

According to a report in Bar and Bench, the case is based on two tweets that Taneja had in criticism of the Supreme Court of India.

The student, Aditya Kashyap, who will be initiating the contempt proceedings, felt that the tweets constituted an "audacious assault and insult to the institution."

What were the tweets by Sanitary Panels against SC?

The tweets were shared by Taneja in November on the social media handles of Sanitary Panels, a satire comic panel run by Taneja that often talks about ongoing socio-political issues and gender with cartoons. In one of the stick-figure cartoons, a caricature of television news anchor Arnab Goswami is standing in the protection of two towering stick figures, one of them representing BJP while the other represented the SC. The legend on the cartoon reads, "Tu janta nahin mera baap kaun hai" (You don't know who my father is).

In another tweet, the artists referred to the Supreme Court of India as the "Sanghi Court of India". Both the cartoons were shared at the time when the SC approved bail for Republic TV's Arnab Goswami, who had been arrested by Mahashtra Police in connection to a 2014 case of abetment to suicide. Many at the time had criticised the SC for allowing bail to Goswami while several other social and political activists, students, teachers are currently awaiting.

Why is Aditya Kashyap filing contempt proceedings against Sanitary Panels?

Kashyap has said that the tweets posted by Taneja, the founder of Sanitary Panels, were insulting to the SC. The first tweet insinuated that the SC was biased toward the BJP, thus inidcating that the apex court was not an independent and unbiased body - an essential attribute of the Indian judiciary.

The second tweet, accoridng to Kashyap, also indicated that the SC had "ceased to be an impartial organ of the State". These implications, Kashyap felt, were incorrect and "dangerous".

What is Sanitary Panels?

Sanitary Panels started as a webcomic that was started in 2014. The feminist webcomic comments on culture, society, and politics and has been making viral comics on burning issues of the country. These include critiques of the government, political parties, institutions political leaders and public personalities as well. The comic deals with a wide range of issues including gender, religion, mental health, education, healthcare, constitutional rights. Sanitary Panels' Instagram page has over 73,000 followers.

Who is Rachna Taneja?

Rachna Taneja is the founder of Samitary Panels as well as co-founder of the Internet Freedom Foundation, which advocates digital privacy, net neutrality and free speech on the internet. Taneja was born in Delhi but currently lives in Bengaluru, which is where she started Sanitary Panels. The artist, who uses stick figures for her cartoons, had said in previous interviews that she used simple drawings so that her cartoons could reach the masses. She also named her webcomic "Solitary Panels" because she wanted her work to break taboos.

How are Indians recating to proceedings against Sanitary Panels?

Social media has come out in support for Taneja, whose cartoons are popular among many sections of internet users including the youth. Many have shown solidarity for Taneja and her art.

Many of hetr fans and supprters of freedom of speech and artistic fredom have been writing "I Stand with Sanitary Panels" on Twitter to support Taneja.