Former Madhya Pradesh High Court judge Rohit Arya has been appointed as the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) coordinator for the state’s ‘One Nation, One Election’ committee, the party announced on Monday. The appointment, made by BJP state head Vishnu Dutt Sharma, also includes Pushyamitra Bhargava as co-coordinator. Justice Arya joined the BJP in July last year, three months after his retirement from the judiciary.
During his tenure as a High Court judge, Arya presided over several controversial cases that garnered national attention. In 2021, he denied bail to comedians Munawar Faruqui and Nalin Yadav, who were accused of hurting religious sentiments during a New Year’s event. In his ruling, Arya noted that evidence suggested “outraging religious feelings of a class of citizens of India with deliberate intendment.” He also emphasized the state’s constitutional duty to promote harmony and prevent societal discord.
In 2020, Arya granted bail to a man accused of outraging a woman’s modesty under the condition that the complainant tie him a “rakhi” on Raksha Bandhan to signify a sibling relationship. The decision sparked criticism and was later overturned by the Supreme Court, which issued guidelines for lower courts on bail conditions in cases involving crimes against women.
Arya’s appointment comes as the BJP gears up for discussions on implementing simultaneous elections across India, a key agenda item for the party ahead of the upcoming state and general elections.
