Guns can't be put to people's head: SC reverses ban on Kamal Hassan's Thug Life | Top Quotes
The Supreme Court has asked Karnataka to file its counter on the issue by tomorrow and said that the hearing will resume on Thursday.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday took a strong objection of the Karnataka government order for not allowing the release of Kamal Haasan's film "Thug Life", saying mob and vigilantes cannot be allowed to take to the streets.
The apex court, while hearing a petition by a Bengaluru resident against the ban on release, said that rule of law must prevail and guns cannot be put to people’s head to stop them from watching the movie.
It also ordered that a case pending before the Karnataka High Court on the matter be transferred to the Supreme Court. The court has asked Karnataka to file its counter on the issue by tomorrow and said that the hearing will resume on Thursday.
The court made the observation while hearing a plea filed by one M Mahesh Reddy challenging the non release of the movie in Karnataka.
Here is what the Supreme Court said while hearing the petition against the ban on the screening of Thug Life:
- Stressing that the rule of law must prevail, a bench of Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice Manmohan, said: "We can’t allow this to happen. Rule of law demands that any person should be allowed to release a film. It can’t be at the fear that the theatres will be burnt."
- The SC bench said that that even though the court was not suggesting that people should come and watch the film, but added that the film should be released. The court said that a movie cannot be banned because a person has a different opinion.
- The court said that just because a person has a different opinion doesn’t mean the movie should be banned. "Rule of law demands that any film that has a CBFC certificate should be released," the court said, according to Bar and Bench.
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- "There is something wrong in the system. One person makes a statement and people think it’s a gospel truth. Let there be a debate! Let the enlightened people of Bangalore tell why he’s wrong, what he says is nonsense," the court observed.
- Justice Manmohan said that the apex court was interfering because the case was concerning the rule of law and fundamental rights. "This is concerning the rule of law and fundamental rights. Therefore, this Court is intervening. That is what the Supreme Court is meant for to be a custodian of the rule of law and fundamental rights. It is not just about a film," he said.
The controversy over the Tamil movie surfaced after Kamal, during a promotional even, suggested that "Kannada was born out of Tamil."
The remark sparked a backlash in Karnataka, prompting the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) to announce that the film would not be screened in the state unless Haasan apologised.
Thug Life" released in cinema halls across the country on June 5. The movie reunites Haasan with filmmaker Mani Ratnam after 1987's "Nayakan".
