The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a plea seeking a stay on the release of a biopic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, PTI reported. The biopic, PM Narendra Modi, will be released on April 11, the first day of voting for the Lok Sabha elections.
The court said the Central Board of Film Certification is yet to certify the film, ANI reported. It also countered advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi’s claim that the film violates the Model Code of Conduct, saying that it was for the Election Commission to make that decision.
On Monday, a bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justice Deepak Gupta and Justice Sanjeev Khanna had refused to pass an order on the plea, filed by Congress leader Aman Panwar. The court said it will hear the matter on Tuesday and could pass an order if the petitioner brings on record the reasons for his objection to the movie.
“The movie was driven by little to no artistic inspiration and was instead designed to manipulate, influence and impress viewers and voters in the upcoming elections,” the petitioner had said in his plea. He alleged that the movie is a “propaganda vehicle being timed to release in coordination with the upcoming elections”.
When the bench asked the petitioner whether he had watched the film, Singhvi replied in the negative. However, the court had refused the petitioner’s request that a copy of the film should be given to him.
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