Right group International Hindu Sena sought a ban on the film, alleging it promotes the concept of 'love jihad'
The Gujarat High Court came down heavily on a right-wing group on Wednesday for wasting the court's time by filing a "frivolous" public interest litigation (PIL) seeking a ban on the release of the movie 'Kedarnath' on the ground that it affects Hindu sentiments.
A division bench of Acting Chief Justice AS Dave and Justice Biren Vaishnav excoriated the petitioner, International Hindu Sena, and said the organisation was on a "wrong mission" in the name of Hindutva. The bench rejected the petition and imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 on the organisation.
From the very beginning of the hearing, the court was miffed with the petitioner, questioning its credibility as well as its standing.
Justice Dave said: "What is International Hindu Sena? Is it even registered? Do you even understand what is Hinduism?"
The court also questioned the petitioner's knowledge of vedas, upanishads and other Hindu scriptures, before remarking that the organisation was on the wrong track as far as Hindutva was concerned.
Directed by Abhishek Kapoor, the movie tells the story of a wealthy Hindu girl who goes on pilgrimage to the historic Kedarnath Temple in the Uttarakhand mountains, where she meets and falls in love with a humble Muslim man who is her tour guide. The movie is set to release in theatres on Friday.
Observers say become a trend for political groups to approach courts seeking bans on release of films on flimsy grounds. The last film which fell prey to similar litigation was 'Loveratri', a film produced by Salman Khan.
WHAT PETITION SAID
- Right group International Hindu Sena sought a ban on the film, alleging it promotes the concept of 'love jihad'
- It also said the movie shows a kissing scene at Kedarnath, a Hindu religious site, which is unacceptable
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