Padmaavat order will not be recalled, declares SC

Padmaavat order will not be recalled, declares SC

Context

The Supreme Court declined a plea by Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh governments to modify its decision to allow film ‘Padmaavat’ to be screened in theatres.

A 100 or 200 people cannot take to the streets and seek a ban’

The State governments approached the apex court to convey the apprehensions that the screening of the movie would trigger large-scale violence by caste groups, beyond the control of the law enforcement apparatus. 

Onus on the States

But the court stood firm by the right to creative speech and expression, putting the onus squarely on the State governments to take measures to protect the movie, its artistes and the public who come to watch it in the theatres.

Court Observed

There is no way the court would back down

Otherwise, these people will make a virtue of creating trouble.

They will first create trouble and then make a virtue of creating trouble

Section 6 invoked by States

The States had invoked Section 6 of the Cinematograph Act of 1952 to argue that the law provided the State to finally decide whether exhibition of a movie may trigger public unrest.

SC stay

• The court had further restrained all States from passing such prohibitory orders against the exhibition of the film.
• The apex court had emphasised that it was “the duty and obligation of the State to maintain law and order”.
• The Bench had made it clear that “once the Parliament has conferred the responsibility and power on a statutory Board and the Board has certified the film, non-exhibition of the film by States is contrary to statutory provisions”.