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Indian Express
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Tailor Kanhaiya Lal's wife writes to Modi seeking release of Udaipur Files
The wife of murdered Udaipur tailor Kanhaiya Lal Teli, Jashoda, has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his help in the release of the film Udaipur Files. On July 10, just a day ahead of its release, the Delhi High Court temporarily stayed the release of the film after it was highlighted that the thematic expression of the film was akin to hate speech and vilification of Muslims. In her letter sent Saturday, Jashoda wrote, 'The Muslim organisations and their lawyer have stopped the release of the film, on my husband's murder, through the courts. I have seen the film myself; it is the story of his murder. There is nothing wrong in it. He was killed three years ago and now the lawyer is saying that whatever happened cannot be shown in the film. (My) children are saying that now the Modi government will decide on the film.' 'You know the wrong which was done to us. And now those same people who killed him are going to the courts. I request you to get this film released so that the whole world can know the truth,' she wrote. She has asked Modi 'to please give us time to meet. I want to come to Delhi and meet you with my two children.' On June 28, 2022, two persons — Mohammad Riyaz and Ghouse Mohammad — posed as customers and hacked to death Kanhaiya Lal Teli at his shop in Udaipur over a post shared by him on social media in support of Nupur Sharma, a BJP spokesperson who was suspended for her objectionable remarks about the Prophet during a live television debate. In the Delhi High Court, petitioner Maulana Arshad Madani, Principal of the Darul Uloom Deoband, had filed the PIL pointing out that the movie is 'replete with dialogues and instances that had led to communal disharmony in the very recent past and thus carry every potential to again stoke the same communal sentiments.' The division bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Anish Dayal relegated the petitioner to the Central government to seek a review of the Central Board of Film Certification's decision to grant a certificate greenlighting the release of the film.
Indian Express
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Udaipur Files: Delhi HC temporarily stays film's release
After a marathon hearing of over four hours, the Delhi High Court Thursday temporarily stayed the release of the film, Udaipur Files. The film was set for release on Friday, July 11. The court's temporary relief comes after it was highlighted that the thematic expression of the film was akin to hate speech and vilification of Muslims. The petitioner, Maulana Arshad Madani, Principal of the Darul Uloom Deoband, had filed the PIL pointing out that the movie, purportedly based on the murder of tailor Kanhaiya Lal on alleged communal grounds in 2022, is 'replete with dialogues and instances that had led to communal disharmony in the very recent past and thus carry every potential to again stoke the same communal sentiments'. The division bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Anish Dayal relegated the petitioner to the Central government to seek a review of the Central Board of Film Certification's decision to grant a certificate greenlighting the release of the film. The HC-directed stay shall be operational till the time the central government decides the application for interim relief that Madani may ask for, including suspension from exhibition of the film. As per the court-directed timelines, the HC-directed stay can then range from July 14 until a maximum of July 21. The CBFC told the court that the film had already undergone 55 cuts that the Board had directed the makers to incorporate. Madani's counsel, who were seeking the court's intervention in setting aside the CBFC certifications granted to the film as well as its trailer, were granted an opportunity to view the film ahead of its release, following the court's direction to this effect on Wednesday. Following the viewing, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the petitioner, vehemently objected to the film's release, impressing before the court that 'this whole movie is visceral hate, nothing short of that', where 'they portray Muslims being violent, being constantly in touch with terrorists in Pakistan'. But the makers of the film contended that it is an 'India-Pakistan film' and does not vilify any specific community, with 'more than 50% of Muslims portrayed in the movie shown in a positive light'. The Centre, too, argued that the film is not community-specific but rather 'crime-specific'. Sibal then referred to a report by The Indian Express profiling Amit Jani, the producer of the film. Furnishing a copy of The Indian Express' report, Sibal requested the court, 'Just read the background of the gentleman who has made this. Where is this country going? Don't let this kind of thing go in the public domain, it is my earnest request, this is not right for the country, and this is not art. This is cinematic vandalism, I'm saying this in national interest, for fraternity.' Relying on provisions under the Cinematograph Act of 1952, along with the 2023 amendments, as well as a statutory notification of December 6, 1991, which provides for guidelines on certification, the bench ruled that the petitioner had failed to take recourse to the statutory remedy available to him — namely to approach the revisional jurisdiction of the central government which is also empowered to revoke an earlier granted certification to a film — before approaching the court. The court noted that under the central government's revisional powers against a CBFC certification, it is also empowered to pass orders providing for interim measures such as suspension of a film from exhibition. 'It is not that it is impermissible for this court to exercise extraordinary jurisdiction even in a case where a petitioner has not exhausted its alternative statutory remedies, but having regard to facts and circumstances of the case and taking into consideration entire scheme of the Act, especially the processes to be gone into at the time of grant of certification, we are of the opinion that petitioner ought to approach the central government by invoking Section 6 of the Act (which deals with revisional powers vested with the central government),' the bench recorded. The bench granted the petitioner time until Monday (July 14) to approach the central government with a revision petition against the CBFC decision, and further directed that such a petition be decided within a week, after giving an opportunity of hearing to the producer. The court also permitted Madani to make an application requesting interim measures as contemplated under the Act, and directed that in case such an application is made, it shall be considered and decided. 'Since we are relegating the petitioner to invoke remedy of revision under the Act, we provide that till the application for grant of interim relief is decided by the central government, if moved by the petitioner, there shall be a stay on release of the film,' the court ruled, noting that the purpose of interlocutory orders is to not prejudice the rights of any of the parties and render a cause as infructuous.
Indian Express
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Hindutva activist with a long list of cases is the man behind ‘Udaipur Files' movie on Kanhaiya Lal killing
Last week, Udaipur Police arrested two people for allegedly issuing a call to boycott a movie on the 2022 beheading of Udaipur tailor Kanhaiya Lal Teli. This week, Maulana Arshad Madani, the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind president and principal of Darul Uloom Deoband, said he had filed petitions in the Delhi, Maharashtra, and Gujarat High Courts seeking a stay on the July 11 release of the Udaipur Files; the Supreme Court on Wednesday, however, refused to stay its release. Amid calls for a boycott and promotions online, as the Udaipur Files hurtles towards a controversy, the man behind the Vijay Raaz-starrer is its producer Amit Jani, who is known to plant himself at the centre of contentious issues. Jani first hit the headlines in July 2012, when he led three other members of his outfit to vandalise the statue of former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati at Lucknow's Ambedkar Park with a hammer. Jani had demanded in a press conference hours earlier that the Samajwadi Party (SP)-led state government remove Mayawati's statues, following up on the party's electoral promise. Else, he threatened, his Uttar Pradesh Navnirman Sena, modelled after the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and founded around 2010, would do the needful. The outfit took inspiration from the regional identity politics of the MNS. A native of Meerut in UP, the 44-year-old was also booked in February 2012 for showing black flags to then Rashtriya Lok Dal president Ajit Singh and Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi. In May 2016, he was arrested for allegedly threatening then JNU Students' Union president Kanhaiya Kumar and Umar Khalid. He was accused of planting a loaded gun and a letter threatening to behead the two JNU students in a bus. In April 2017, in the backdrop of some students allegedly supporting the Pakistani cricket team, he allegedly put up hoardings on the Delhi-Dehradun highway asking Kashmiris to 'leave the state or face consequences'. He was subsequently arrested. That July, he was booked in another case for allegedly calling for SP leader Azam Khan's tongue to be cut off for his controversial remarks about security personnel. In October 2017, the UP Police arrested him for sharing a modified image of the Taj Mahal with saffron flags on the dome and its minarets, on social media, and also giving a call for a gathering of saffron and Hindu organisations at the Taj Mahal. In December 2018, following the BJP's loss in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh Assembly polls, his outfit was booked for allegedly putting up 'Yogi versus Modi' hoardings in Lucknow, highlighting 'Jumlebaazi' vs Yogi's 'Hindutva brand.' In February 2019, following the Pulwama terror attack, he put up a sign, 'Kashmiris not allowed', at his Noida hotel. However, the poster was removed by the time police reached, and OYO, the hospitality chain of leased and franchised hotels, said it had delisted the hotel. Ironically, while Jani has made a movie on the Udaipur murder, he had announced a 2019 Lok Sabha ticket for Shambhulal Regar, who, in December 2017, hacked migrant labourer Mohammad Afrazul Khan in a similar manner in Rajsamand and then burnt the body. Like the Udaipur case, Regar too recorded a video of the incident that went viral. In 2017, Jani floated the Shivpal Yadav Youth Brigade, named after SP president Akhilesh Yadav's uncle. Shivpal, who eventually floated the Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) following differences with Akhilesh, made Jani the president of his party's youth wing in November 2019. More recently, Jani also launched a 'Hindu Action Force'. In his affidavit for the 2022 Uttar Pradesh elections, Jani listed 14 pending cases against him in Meerut, Delhi, Amroha, Lucknow, Agra, and Rampur. These included cases for vandalising a Shiv Sena office in Meerut in 2010, the vandalism of the Mayawati statue, dowry harassment, looting, and threatening a doctor. As the release of the Udaipur Files draws closer, Jani has claimed he is receiving death threats on social media for the movie, which also has music by singer Kailash Kher. 'The film's trailer includes the controversial statement by Nupur Sharma, which not only worsened the communal atmosphere across the country but also tarnished the country's image at the international level and negatively impacted our friendly relations with other countries,' said Arshad Madani. On June 28, 2022, two persons — Mohammad Riyaz and Ghouse Mohammad — posed as customers and hacked to death Kanhaiya Lal Teli at his shop in Udaipur over a post shared by him on social media in support of Sharma, a BJP spokesperson who was suspended for her objectionable remarks about the Prophet during a live television debate. On Monday, SP MLA Abu Asim Azmi said in the Maharashtra Assembly that releasing the movie may lead to a law-and-order situation and demanded a prohibition on it. He also moved a Private Member's Bill against those spreading division, insult or violence in the name of religion. Earlier, the Congress and the BJP had traded barbs over the issue in Rajasthan, with former CM Ashok Gehlot attacking the government, saying that 'even after three years of trial, the culprits have not been punished in a case of such a clear nature'. Meanwhile, as the Teli family awaits justice, they have backed the movie and also accompanied Jani to press conferences, temple visits, and meetings with religious leaders and politicians.
The Hindu
08-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Jamiat chief moves Delhi HC to seek stay on release of film on Kanhaiya Lal murder case
A petition has been filed before the Delhi High Court seeking to stay the release of 'Udaipur Files', claiming that the movie based on tailor Kanhaiya Lal murder case has potential to inflame communal tensions and disrupt public order in the country. The petition has been filed by Maulana Arshad Madani, Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind president and principal of Darul Uloom Deoband, and is likely to come up for hearing on Wednesday. Madani has claimed in the petition that a trailer of the movie, released on June 26, 2025 was replete with dialogues and instances that had led to communal disharmony in 2022, and carries every potential to again stoke the same communal sentiments. "The movie, in fact unabashedly depicts court scenes, the statement made by a sitting chief minister supporting one party in the case and also explicitly mentions the controversial statement made by a politician - Nupur Sharma - which had resulted in communal violence and, in turn, the gruesome murder of Kanhaiya Lal," the petition claimed. It said that a mere viewing of the trailer as released leaves no manner of doubt as to the plot of the movie as the trailer itself seeks to portray an entire community in a prejudicial manner, thereby violating the right to live with dignity for the members of the community. "The trailer itself is sufficient to demonstrate its highly provocative nature, capable of creating a wedge between the communities which may cause serious disturbance to public peace and public order across the country, which had demonstrably happened with the same set of statements that are now being repeated in the movie," it said. The petitioner said that while the murder of Kanhaiya Lal was carried out by two fanatics, the trailer seeks to falsely portray the same as being carried out with the complicity of the religious heads/leaders of the community. "The release of the film Udaipur Files has the potential to inflame communal tensions and disrupt public order," the petition claimed. The film's release may result in "vilifying an entire religious community, foster hatred and severely undermine the fabric of religious harmony in the country which amounts to a direct contravention of the fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 14, 15 and 21 of the Constitution of India, as it promotes discrimination, and threatens the right to life with dignity and security for an entire community", it alleged. The petition also claimed that the film violates the constitutional morality by weaponising the freedom of expression to weaken the constitutional vision of a plural, inclusive, and secular India, and instead attempts to mainstream narratives that deepen social and religious divisions. "Artistic expression, no matter how evocative, cannot be permitted to become a vehicle to crush fraternity and uproot the ethical foundations of the nation as enshrined in the Constitution," it said.
Indian Express
05-05-2025
- Health
- Indian Express
Islamic scholar Maulana Ghulam Vastanvi passes away at 75
Renowned maulana Ghulam Vastanvi, a native of Surat district, passed away due to a progloned illness at his home in Maharashtra Sunday afternoon. He was 75. Sharing more details, maulana's son, Mufti Uzaifa Vastanvi (45) said: ' My father was a diabetic patient for the last 10 years. For the last three years, he had been undergoing kidney dialysis. He had suffered an injury followed by an infection as a result of which he was not keeping well for the last two months'. 'He received medical treatment in multiple hospitals in Maharashtra. For the last two days, his body was not responding to medicines, following which he was brought to Akkalkuwa (Nandurbar district), where he breathed his last on Sunday afternoon,' said Mufti Uzaifa. Mufti Uzaifa, who is presently pursuing his PhD on an Urdu subject said, 'My father had set up an empire to impart education to Muslim people'. Meanwhile, the cleric's funeral procession was attended by hundreds of people at his home in Akkalkuwa town in Maharashtra's Nandurbar district Monday. The social media platforms were also flooded with condolence messages from different parts of the country and abroad. Maulana Vastanvi, a cleric from the remote Kosadi village in Surat district, had set up an institution, Jamia Islamia Ishaatul Uloom, imparting education covering engineering sector, medical and paramedical courses. The students were taught in English and Urdu medium. Apart from providing education from Class 1 to 12, the institution also offered diplomas, bachelors and masters courses. Presently, over 15000 students are studying in the educational institution set up by Vastanvi. The cleric also served as a vice chancellor in Darul Uloom Deoband, one of the highest Islamic seminaries in India, in 2011. He had to resign amid an uproar by the board members over his statements praising the then Gujarat chief minister and now Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Apart from this, he also had started an MBBS college at Jalna in Aurangabad. Maulana Vastanvi is survived by three sons and six daughters. All the daughters are married. His eldest son, Mohammed Saeed Vastanvi had died five years ago. His other two sons, Mufti Uzaifa and Mufti Uvesh Vastanvi, look after his empire. 'Today, a large number of people not only from Gujarat and Maharashtra, but also from different parts of the country like UP, Bihar, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, etc. attended my father's funeral procession. There were over 50,000 people present. I prayed namaz-e-janaza (final prayer for the deceased) for my father. He was active in India and had also received great recognition in Saudi Arabia, where he was engaged in charity and educational work,' said Mufti Uzaifa.
