Vivek Oberoi starrer PM Narendra Modi biopic which was slated to release on April 11 has been stalled by the Election Commission till the end of the Lok Sabha elections on May 19.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) said in a statement, “Any biopic material in nature of biography sub-serving the purpose of any political entity or any individual entity connected to it, which has potential to disturb level playing field during the election, should not be displayed in electronic media, including cinematography.”
And now, the makers of the film moved the Supreme Court against the Election Commission’s decision. And now, the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case on April 15.
Makers move Supreme Court against EC’s ban
Hitesh Jain, the lawyer for the four producers of the biopic, told The Indian Express, on Thursday that the makers will move the apex court under Article 32 of the Constitution stating that the EC’s order is a violation of their freedom of speech and expression.
Jain said, “A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court has already held that although the EC has plenary power under Article 324 of the Constitution, these powers have their limitations. When Parliament or any state legislature has already made a valid law then the EC should act in conformity with that law and it cannot transgress it. As far as film release goes, CBFC is the appropriate authority to take decisions under law.”
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Earlier, there was a plea in the Supreme Court to postpone the release date but the court rejected the plea and said that the Election Commission will decide whether the movie should be released amidst elections or not.