Disrespect to national anthem: Court dismisses case against Mamta Banerjee

The metropolitan court in Mumbai dismissed a complaint against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for disrespecting the national anthem.

MUMBAI: The metropolitan court in Mazgaon dismissed a complaint against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, alleging disrespect to the national anthem, on Monday. The complaint was filed by BJP functionary Vivekanand Gupta, but the court dismissed his plea, stating that no offence was made out against the Trinamul Congress leader.

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Gupta, a functionary of BJP’s Mumbai unit, had alleged that Banerjee disrespected the national flag and anthem on December 01, 2021, while on a two-day visit to the city. He claimed Banerjee did not stand when the national anthem was played at a function held at the Yashwantrao Chavan Pratishthan Auditorium in South Mumbai, where she was the chief guest.

Gupta demanded that an FIR be registered against Banerjee under the Prevention of Insults to the National Honour Act. He further alleged that towards the end of the programme, she started singing the national anthem while sitting in her chair, then stood up abruptly and sang a few lines, following which she left the program while the anthem was still being sung.

Earlier this year, Banerjee had approached the sessions court for quashing the complaint. While deciding her plea, the sessions court had observed in March that not standing up for the national anthem may have been disrespectful, but not an offence.

“Undoubtedly, the complainant was not present in the said function. He has no personal knowledge about the event that was conducted on December 1, 2021. The only source of information for complainant was a news report relied upon by him. It is to be noted here that as per averments in the complaint itself, prominent people from various backgrounds had attended the said function. In the aforesaid factual scenario, it was mandatory on the part of the Metropolitan Magistrate to hold inquiry as per Section 202 of the CrPC,” the sessions court had said and remanded the matter for fresh adjudication.