Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma Booked for Alleged Anti-Hindu Remarks on Social Media
Andhra Pradesh Political Party Calls for Legal Action Under BNS Provisions Following Derogatory Comments on Hinduism
Regional Political Party Sues Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma for Alleged Hate Speech
One of the Rashtriya Praja Congress party members, which is a regional political party based in Andhra Pradesh, filed a police complaint against noted filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma on charges of hate speech and hurting the sentiments of the Hindu community by his statements on social media sites such as Facebook and YouTube.
The complaint, filed by party president and High Court advocate Meda Srinivas at the Three Town Police Station, contains video clippings and social media posts as proof for the allegations. In a press release, Srinivas called Varma’s online material “barbaric,” claiming that it has not only deeply hurt many people but also poses a serious threat to social harmony and public solidarity.
Srinivas continued to claim that Varma had made fun of Hindu gods and scriptures, including such sacred epics as the Ramayana and Mahabharata. He described the director’s posts as incendiary and insulting, and he called upon authorities to file legal proceedings under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The complaint has been in police investigation since, with police officers ready to investigate further into the case. The move is an indication of the controversy that still hovers around freedom of expression and cultural sensitivity in the region, as public figures and words become increasingly scrutinized in the social media era.
