Uttarakhand HC dismisses plea seeking ban on ‘Kedarnath’ release

Nainital, December 6

The Uttarakhand High Court on Thursday dismissed a PIL seeking a ban on upcoming movie “Kedarnath” on the plea that it hurts Hindu sentiments.

Dismissing the petition, a Division Bench of Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice Ramesh Khulbe said a similar controversy surrounding the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s “Padmavat” had made the film a super hit.

The court advised the petitioner to approach a high-powered committee headed by the Rudraprayag District Magistrate with his objections to the movie.

The court left it to the discretion of the Rudraprayag DM to take an appropriate decision according to law and order situation in the area.  It also advised the counsel of the petitioner not to see the film if he so wished.

Set against the backdrop of the 2013 deluge, the film which depicts the love story of a Muslim porter and a Hindu girl on a pilgrimage to Kedarnath releases tomorrow.

Sushant Singh Rajput and debutante Sara Ali Khan portray the lead characters in the movie.

The petitioner, who had objected to the film due to a variety of reasons including its passionate love scenes and alleged promotion of love jihad, said he was disappointed by the high court’s order. PTI