Kamal Haasan Condemns Sedition Case Against 49 Celebrities, Asks Supreme Court To Quash the FIR

Haasan pointed out that the case was against the letter and spirit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s aspirations of ’harmonious India’. 

Chennai: South actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan is the latest to call out the sedition case in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur. In a tweet, Haasan condemned the FIR against 49 celebrities who had written an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi against lynchings in the country

He pointed out that the case was against the letter and spirit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s aspirations of ’harmonious India’.

The Prime minister seeks a harmonius India. His statements in the parliament confirms it. Should not the state and it's law follow it in letter and spirit? 49 of my peers have been accused, of sedition, contradicting the PM's aspirations. (1/2)

— Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) October 8, 2019

He also sought the Supreme Court’s intervention in the matter and asked the apex court to quash the case.

I request as a citizen that Our Higher courts move in to uphold justice with Democracy and quash the case eminating from Bihar. (2/2)

— Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) October 8, 2019

Earlier today, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday also spoke about the ongoing row, tweeting an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the subject and urging those who believe in Freedom of Expression to write similar letters, even at the cost of having FIRs filed against them.

Urging all those who believe in #FreedomOfExpression to send this or similar letters to @PMOIndia @narendramodi urging him to affirm the constitutional principle of our Article 19 rights & the value of democratic dissent — even if more FIRs follow as a result! #SaveFreeSpeech pic.twitter.com/MDIrros64j

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) October 8, 2019

The controversy erupted when, on October 3, an FIR was lodged in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur on Thursday against Ramchandra Guha, Mani Ratnam and 47 other celebrities who had written an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the growing incidents of mob lynching.

The open letter noted that that ‘Jai Shri Ram’ has become a provocative ‘war cry’ that leads to law and order problems, and many lynchings take place in its name.

The case was lodged after an order was passed by Chief Judicial Magistrate Surya Kant Tiwari, two months ago on a petition filed by local advocate Sudhir Kumar Ojha.

Sudhir Kumar Ojha had approached the court alleging that the open letter signed by nearly 49 eminent personalities “tarnished the image of the country and undermined the impressive performance of the Prime Minister and supporting secessionist tendencies”.