The Supreme Court refused to consider a plea that sought the censorship of actor Kangana Ranaut’s social media posts. The petitioner Chanderjit Singh Chanderpal claimed he was ‘hurt’ by Ranaut’s post which alleged that “Sikh farmers were Khalistani terrorists.”
The Court maintained that it won’t entertain any third-party petitions about the same. The plea was being heard by Justices DY Chandrachud and Bela M Trivedi.
The petition alleged that Ranaut’s statements ‘intended to cause riots’ and hurt the religious statements of the Sikh community. The plea stated, “(It) upholds the genocide of 1984, means that Sikhs should be treated as a lower race like unwanted mosquitoes and they need a Guru like Mrs. Indira Gandhi when the Eternal Guru of the Sikhs is Guru Granth Sahibjee.”
‘Kangana Ranaut’s Statements Can Potentially Cause Riots’: Petitioner
The plea stated, “These kinds of statements develop a sense of racial discrimination, hate based on different faiths and could lead to a lot of heated arguments on social media and have the potency of even riots, provocation and have all ingredients of the offences that these statements commit, having an effect on the daily like of the petitioner/ his thinking/ his faith/ his confidence in the system and such things just cannot be ignored," as reported by NDTV.
The plea further argued that Ranaut’s statements can’t be ignored since they are ‘against the unity of our country’. The petition also demanded that all pending FIRs against the actor be transferred to the Khar Police Station in Mumbai. It also prayed that all chargesheets in the cases be submitted in six months and the trial be completed in two years.
Sikh Body Earlier Sought Withdrawal of Kangana Ranaut’s Padma Shri
In November, the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) had written to President Ram Nath Kovind, requesting him to withdraw the Padma Shri conferred on Kangana Ranaut as she was "spreading communal hatred, targeting a religious community, and insulting farmers and freedom fighters", as per a report by PTI.
Kangana Ranaut had posted on Instagram that "Khalistani terrorists" are 'arm-twisting' the government, seemingly referring to Prime Minister Modi's decision to repeal the farm laws.
She had also written, "But let's not forget one woman...the only woman Prime Minister (Indira Gandhi) ne inn ko apni jooti ke neeche crush kiya tha (the only woman PM had crushed them under her shoes)."
(With inputs from NDTV, Bar & Bench)
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)