Staff Reporter
The trailer of the upcoming film Udaipur Files, based on the 2022 murder of tailor Kanhaiya Lal, has sparked widespread outrage and demands for a ban. The trailer features controversial remarks made by former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma, which previously ignited nationwide unrest and hurt India’s international image. The film also depicts Deoband as a center of extremism, using inflammatory language against Muslim scholars, and references sensitive issues like the Gyanvapi Mosque, currently under judicial review.
Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind President Maulana Arshad Madani has filed petitions in the Delhi, Maharashtra, and Gujarat High Courts under Article 226 of the Constitution to halt the film’s July 11 release. The petition argues that the film violates constitutional rights under Articles 14, 15, and 21 by targeting a specific religious community and spreading hate.
Madani accused the Censor Board of becoming complicit in a broader agenda to incite communal discord, calling the board’s approval of the film a violation of Section 5B of the Cinematograph Act. He emphasized that under the guise of free speech, no one should be allowed to harm religious sentiments or disrupt social harmony in a secular nation.