In a significant legal development, the Chandigarh district court has issued notices to actress and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut, concerning her portrayal of the Sikh community in her upcoming film ‘Emergency.’ The court action follows a complaint lodged by advocate Ravinder Singh Bassi, president of the NGO Lawyers for Humanity, who claims the film misrepresents Sikh historical figures and sentiments.
The court has directed Ranaut and other respondents involved in the film to respond by December 5. The complaint centers on allegations that ‘Emergency’ inaccurately depicts the former Jathedar of the Akal Takth, a key Sikh religious leader, as a terrorist, among other contentious portrayals.
Bassi’s petition details how the film, particularly in its trailer, portrays Sikhs negatively and includes historically inaccurate claims about the Jathedar of Sri Akal Takth Sahib demanding a separate state—claims that Bassi asserts are false and damaging to the image of Sikhs and the Akal Takth Jathedars.
The petitioner expressed that these portrayals not only malign the Sikh community but also potentially incite discord among different groups, violating several sections of the newly enacted Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023. These include promoting enmity between different groups on religious and racial grounds and making false statements that jeopardize India’s sovereignty and integrity.
Bassi, also a former president of the District Bar Association in Chandigarh, argues that the film’s content has hurt the feelings of the Sikh community broadly. He highlighted Ranaut’s history of provocative statements and speeches, suggesting a pattern of behavior that fuels community tensions.
The petitioner has called for a formal investigation into these allegations, requesting that an FIR be filed against Ranaut and other key figures associated with the film under stringent sections of the law that address the promotion of communal enmity and the intentional insult to religious beliefs.
