Patna, Sep 02: The controversy over film-maker Prakash Jha's 'Gangajal' seems to be dying down with the RJD worker, who had moved the Patna High Court seeking a ban on the film, today withdrawing his petition and Jha visiting here tomorrow for a special screening of the film for Chief Minister Rabri Devi and RJD president Laloo Prasad Yadav. An RJD activist Dev Jyoti, who had filed the petition yesterday seeking immediate ban on the screening of the film for allegedly tarnishing the image of Chief Minister Rabri Devi's legislator brother Sadhu Yadav, withdrew his petition after a brief hearing in the court of Justice R N Prasad.

Petitioner's counsel Ganesh Prasad Singh sought permission of the court to withdraw the petition as his client did not want to pursue it which the judge allowed. The petition is dismissed as withdrawn, the judge said in his brief order. Dev Jyoti later told a news agency that he decided to withdraw his petition after he had a telephonic talk with Jha, who invited him to see the movie and convinced him that the villain of the film named Sadhu Yadav had no likeness with the real life MLA brother of the Chief Minister.

The petition had alleged that the movie was a direct invasion of Article 21 (right to live with dignity) with the purpose of tarnishing the legislator's image and sought the court's direction for banning the screening of the movie with immediate effect.

Meanwhile, speaking to a news agency from Mumbai, Jha said he was arriving in the state capital tomorrow to meet RJD president Laloo Prasad Yadav and the Chief Minister to seek appointment for the special screening of the film. Bureau Report