Fresh plea to stall the release of ‘Udaipur Files’: ‘Communally coloured propaganda indulged in by the producer’

Maulana Arshad Madani, president of the Jamiat-Ulama-e-Hind, an Islamic organisation, has objected to the Supreme Court’s decision to release Udaipur Files: Kanhaiya Lal Tailor Murder, despite six cuts being made to the film. Madani filed a petition challenging the Centre’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting order, which instructed the producers of the film to implement the edits.

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According to ANI, the petition asserts, “The inflammatory and malafide intent of the film is clear when considered in the context of the long history of communally coloured propaganda indulged in by the producer of the film, Amit Jani, who is a self-styled activist and founder of the Uttar Pradesh Navnirman Sena.”

The top court is expected to hear the matter today.

Udaipur Files is based on the murder of a Udaipur-based tailor, Kanhaiya Lal, by two men—Mohammad Riyaz and Mohammad Ghous—as retaliation against a social media post supporting former BJP leader Nupur Sharma, who faced heat from the Muslim community for remarks on Prophet Muhammad. His murder was recorded by the attackers.

The film was scheduled to release on July 9, but a stay order was initiated by the High Court.  Senior Advocate Gaurav Bhatia, representing the producers, filed a plea challenging the notion, arguing that it is a violation as the film received a Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

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On July 9, prior to the stay order, the top court had permitted the release of the film after rejecting a plea filed by Mohammed Javed, who is facing trial as the eighth accused in the case, who sought to hold the release until the ongoing trial is over.

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