Ponmudy was caught on video telling a joke that involved a woman asking a man if he was a follower of one of the Hindu groups, based on the type of mark (called tilak) he wears on his forehead.

She told him that if he’s a Shaivite, the position is “lying down,” and if he’s a Vaishnavite, it’s “standing up.” The judge said this kind of joke was inappropriate and that such things shouldn’t be said in public. A judge in India’s high court was upset with a man named K Ponmudy, who used bad words and made mean jokes about people who follow certain Hindu traditions (called Vaishnavites and Saivites) and about women from all different groups.

The judge warned that if the police don’t stop Ponmudy, they might ask a special investigation team (called CBI) to look into it. The judge also said that no one is allowed to act like they are the boss of everyone just because they are in power.

The court can stop them if they say mean or disrespectful things. The judge said that politicians (people who make rules for the country) should be careful about what they say because they are talking to everyone, not just their friends.

He said politicians should remember they live among all kinds of people and should behave nicely. In April, Ponmudy said some inappropriate things, linking religious groups to funny and inappropriate jokes about sex positions.