Padmavati row: Ranchi lawyer seeks action against Javed Akhtar for ‘hurting’ Rajput sentiments
The petitioner claimed Akhtar’s remark was a deliberate attempt to provoke the sentiments of a particular community in order to disturb the country’s peace and harmony.
A Ranchi-based lawyer has moved a court seeking action against poet and film lyricist Javed Akhtar for his alleged remarks that Rajput rulers never fought against British.
Akhtar reportedly made the remarks in the context of the community’s ongoing protest against the Deepika Padukone-starrer Padmavati.
Citing a report published in a vernacular daily on November 20, Jharkhand high court advocate Naveen Kumar Singh in his petition filed before a first class judicial magistrate claimed Akhtar made “objectionable” comments against the community.
“The case would be heard on November 27 in the court of judicial magistrate Tarkeshwar Das,” Singh’s lawyer Manoj Kumar Sinha said.
Singh sought action against Akhtar under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) including sections 153 (Wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot), 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion...), 153 B (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration), 295 A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class...) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breech of peace).
Annexing the news report with his petition, Singh submitted that Akhtar’s prevocational remarks against Rajput kings, deeply hurt the community at large.
The report quoted Akhtar as saying, “Rajput kings, who never fought with Britishers, have now taken to streets protesting the film Padmavati. These Ranas and Maharajas, wearing their turbans, had served Britishers for 200 years undermining their grace. They remained kings only because they had accepted the British supremacy.”
Sanjay Leela Bhansali directed Padmavati, based on the life of the legendary Rajput queen, is stuck in a raging controversy even before its release as the community has been protesting against the film, accusing the film makers of distorting facts.
While the film is still to be cleared by the censor board, its release has been deferred with some states banning the screening of the movie. It was originally scheduled to be released on December 1.
The petitioner, who is also a Rajput, alleged that Akhtar’s remark was a deliberate attempt to provoke the sentiments of a particular community in order to disturb the country’s peace and harmony.
He argued Akhtar’s accusations and assertions were prejudicial to national integration.
He committed serious offenses and therefore cognisance should be taken against him to punish him appropriately, Singh submitted in his petition.
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