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Lok Sabha elections 2019: Supreme Court refuses to overturn Election Commission order on Ban on Modi biopic
In a report submitted to the top court last week, EC said the biopic was a “hagiography”. It gave a report against the movie’s public screening during the election campaign, saying it would “tilt the electoral balance”.
The Supreme Court refused on Friday to overturn the Election Commission’s order banning the release of the biopic, PM Narendra Modi, until the ongoing Lok Sabha polls end on May 19.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said it was not willing to entertain the plea filed by the film’s producer challenging EC’s order.
“What survives in this now?” the bench, also comprising Justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna, asked senior advocate, Neeraj Kishan Kaul, appearing for the producer.
In a report submitted to the top court last week, EC said the biopic was a “hagiography”. It gave a report against the movie’s public screening during the election campaign, saying it would “tilt the electoral balance”.
Kaul argued that the order violates the right to freedom of expression and is also contrary to the clearance given to the film by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).
However, the bench replied: “The issue is whether the movie can be exhibited at this time. The Election Commission has taken a decision. We are not inclined to entertain this [plea].” The court even refrained from making any comment when Kaul, at the end of the hearing, said even the promo of the movie isn’t being allowed on air.
The Congress welcomed the EC stand on the issue.
“What is important in the matter is that the detailed second report of the EC describes how the movie is nothing but a hagiography. These facts speak for themselves about the true intent and purpose of such producers and actors in the middle of an election,” senior advocate and Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi said.
Singhvi added that in the last twenty days, the Congress was “able to successfully argue and obtain EC orders banning Yogi Adityanath for 72 hours, banning Namo TV, stopping Namo web series; banning Mr (Satpal Singh) Satti (BJP’s Himachal Pradesh state president) from campaigning amid other things.”
