SC issues notice to Centre, UP Govt on `Aarakshan` ban
The Supreme Court today sought response from the Centre and Uttar Pradesh government on filmmaker Prakash Jha`s petition challenging the state government`s decision to ban screening of `Aarakshan`.
|Last Updated: Aug 16, 2011, 12:52 PM IST|Source: Bureau
New Delhi: The Supreme Court today sought response from the Centre and Uttar Pradesh government on filmmaker Prakash Jha`s petition challenging the state government`s decision to ban screening of `Aarakshan`.
A bench of justices Mukundkam Sharma and A R Dave issued notice to the Centre and the state government asking them to file their response by Friday.
The bench posted the matter for further hearing on August 19.
The court passed the orders on Jha`s petition, who approached it after screening of his film was banned by various state governments.
Jha`s film `Aarakshan` was banned by three states, UP, Punjab and Andhra Pradesh. The UP government had on August 10 banned the film for two months citing law and order problem.
However, Punjab and Andhra Pradesh had later lifted the ban. In his petition, Jha had asked whether the state governments can override the permission granted by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to exhibit a movie.
The petition contended the decision by the governments of UP, Punjab and Andhra Pradesh was due to political reasons and it violates the fundamental right to speech and expression.
The political thriller starring Amitabh Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan, Manoj Vajpai, Prateek Babbar and Deepika Padukone was released on August 12 in other parts of the country.
Jha has sought a stay on the orders passed by the UP government banning the release of the film on the grounds of likelihood of hurting the feelings of weaker sections that could lead to law and order problems.
In the petition, Jha said the examining committee of Central Board for Film Certification (CBFC), which cleared the film for exhibition, comprised members drawn from the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribes and other backward castes and the ban by the three states is "biased and arbitrary".
Seeking a stay on ban orders, Jha had cited various apex court judgements holding that "open criticism of the government policies and operations is not a ground for imposing restriction on expression views even in the form of
films."
He said he has spent Rs 65 crores towards production, publicity and marketing of the film and third party rights for distribution and exploitation of the film have also been created.
PTI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.