The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear a petition demanding a stay on the release of a biopic on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, PTI reported. The court said it will hear the petition, filed by a Congress leader, on April 8.
The film PM Narendra Modi was scheduled for release on April 5, but has reportedly been postponed to April 12, which was the original release date. Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for petitioner another Congress leader Aman Panwar said the film’s release may affect free and fair elections.
High Courts in Bombay, Delhi and Madhya Pradesh have already rejected petitions demanding a stay on the release of the film. The courts said they would not intervene in the matter as the Election Commission had take cognisance of the film.
On Wednesday, the Congress described the biopic on Modi as an “example of absolute desperation” based on a “flop person who proved to be zero”. The party had said it had complained to the Election Commission about the film’s release before the polls.
The film features Vivek Oberoi as the prime minister through various stages of his life – including his early years with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and his long stint as chief minister of Gujarat – leading up to his party’s victory in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
Last week, the poll panel had issued a notice to the makers of PM Narendra Modi and the BJP following the Opposition’s demand that the film’s release be postponed till the Lok Sabha elections are over. In response, the producers of the film – Anand K Pandit, Sandeep Ssingh, Manish Acharya and Suresh Oberoi – had said they have no link with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and that they had put in their personal money to make the film.
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