PM Modi biopic: SC dismisses petition seeking stay on release

The Supreme Court Tuesday dismissed a petition filed by a Congress activist seeking stay on the release of biopic on Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying the Election Commission would be an "appropriate" place to seek the redressal.

The apex court said it was not entertaining the petition for the stay on the release of the film which would be "premature" in view of the fact that the movie is yet to be certified by the Censor Board.

It said even if the film is released on April 11, as claimed by the Congress activist, it will be appropriate for him to seek a redressal from the Election Commission.

"We, therefore do not consider it fit to entertain the petition", said a bench comprising Chief justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna.

The court had on Monday said that "any kind of order from the court will be possible if the petitioner states and pleads what the film is seeking to depict and his objections on this count".

The bench said the petitioner has been unable to obtain the copy of the biopic and the video clipping, which is a two minute trailer, was not sufficient to assess that the film would influence or impact the upcoming general elections.

It also said that even if the film tilts the balance in favour of BJP in the general elections as contended by the Congress activist, it is for the for the Election Commission to analyse the complaint.

While dismissing the petition filed by Congress activist Aman Panwar, the bench recorded that it has refused to see the trailer of the film "because a two-minute view of the film cannot help in knowing the impact of the film in the forthcoming general elections".

It said: "The circumstances on the release of the biopic are for the Election Commission to see, and that even if all that the petitioner claims is found to be true, he will be entitled to the relief which he has himself sought for the film to not to be screened forty-eight hours prior to the polls."