SC issues notice to Karnataka government regarding de facto ban on Kamal Haasan movie ‘Thug Life’
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday issued a notice the Karnataka government asking for an explanation for the de facto ban on the release of Tamil movie ‘Thug Life’ starring Kamal Haasan in Karnataka.
A petition was filed by M Mahesh Reddy, a resident of Bengaluru, who has alleged that although the movie has been cleared by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), the Karnataka government has prohibited the release of the movie in the state following violence and intimidation by organizations and the inaction of government authorities.
A two-judge bench comprising of Justices PK Mishra and Manmohan heard the plea against the prohibition.
The advocate representing the petitioner, A Velan, alleged that the government had joined hands with extremist forces, with one of the theatres being seized when women and children were inside. He added that the theatre authorities too were seeking protection but no FIR was filed in the incident.
The call for a ban on ‘Thug Life’ came following the veteran actor’s comment at a recent event that Kannada was an off-spring of Tamil.
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MediaOne TV Facebook page restored after block linked to ‘government request’
Kochi: The official Facebook page of Malayalam news channel MediaOne TV has been restored after being blocked without prior notice, the broadcaster said on Wednesday.
The channel was quoted by Maktoob as saying that the restriction was lifted automatically, with Meta Platforms informing it that the action had been taken following a “government request” which has now expired or been reversed.
The development came shortly after the channel approached the Kerala High Court challenging the blocking of its page, terming it arbitrary and in violation of legal provisions and judicial precedents. The High Court had issued notice to Meta via email hours before the restriction was withdrawn.
In its petition, the channel said access to its Facebook page had been restricted for users in India without citing any specific content or alleged violation. It contended that while individual posts may be taken down under applicable a rule, blocking an entire page goes beyond the scope of such measures.
The incident followed an earlier action taken against the channel in 2022, when the Ministry of Information and transmitting prohibited it from transmitting. It cited national security concerns regarding the Ministry of Home Affairs' refusal of security clearance.
The Supreme Court of India in April 2023 set aside the ban, observing that national security claims cannot be made without substantive basis and that criticism of government policies does not render a media outlet anti-national.
