BJP MLA Harish Poonja booked for making 'provocative speech' at temple event in Karnataka
Mangaluru (Karnataka), May 4 (PTI): A case has been registered against BJP MLA Harish Poonja for allegedly making a provocative speech during the Brahmakalashotsava (consecration ceremony) at the Gopalakrishna Temple in Thekkaru village in Dakshina Kannada district.
According to the police, complainant Ibrahim S B has alleged that Punja made derogatory remarks against the Muslim community and allegedly attempted to incite communal hatred through his speech.
The speech in question was reportedly delivered in the presence of a gathering during the religious event.
The complaint stated that the content of the speech could sow discord between religious communities and disturb communal harmony in the region.
Based on the complaint, the police have registered a case under sections 196 and 352(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), the new Indian criminal code that recently replaced the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
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'The Ba**ds of Bollywood’ mirrors my life, damages my reputation: Sameer Wankhede tells Delhi HC
New Delhi: IRS officer Sameer Wankhede has submitted his reply to the Delhi High Court in the defamation case he filed against Red Chillies Entertainment, the production company owned by actor Shah Rukh Khan. The case pertains to the recently released series The Ba**ds of Bollywood*, which Wankhede claims has defamed him.
In his statement to the court, Wankhede asserted that the show’s portrayal of a police officer is clearly based on him and has caused serious harm to his public image. He cited four key reasons supporting his claim.
First, he said the character in question bears physical similarities to him, including facial and body features. Second, he noted that the character’s working style and mannerisms closely resemble his own.
Third, Wankhede highlighted that the officer in the show is depicted making a high-profile arrest involving a major film personality, which he said directly mirrors his own involvement in the Aryan Khan drug case.
Fourth, he pointed out that the character frequently uses the phrase “Satyameva Jayate,” a motto he himself had used during media interactions in the course of that investigation. He argued that using the national motto in such a context cannot be dismissed as creative expression or humour.
Wankhede also referred to an interview in which Aryan Khan allegedly admitted that the show was “inspired by some real events.” This, he said, contradicts Red Chillies Entertainment’s claim that The Ba**ds of Bollywood* is purely fictional.
He further alleged that the tone and intent of the series indicate personal and institutional vendetta, aimed at discrediting and defaming him rather than engaging in artistic storytelling.
Wankhede informed the court that the fallout from the show has affected his family, with his wife and sister receiving abusive and vulgar messages online.
Rejecting Red Chillies’ argument that he is a “thin-skinned” officer, Wankhede said that a public servant cannot be expected to tolerate false and damaging portrayals simply because of his position. He emphasized that his legal action seeks to protect the constitutional rights and dignity of both himself and his family.
