Supreme Court grants interim protection to filmmaker Leena Manimekalai who showed goddess Kali smoking cigarette

(Left side) Film Producer Leena Manimekalai

The intention underlying the display of this image is not to hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus, but to make them comprehend the denigration – Editor, Dainik Sanatan Prabhat

New Delhi – The Supreme Court has issued a stay for the arrest of Film Producer Leena Manimekalai, for publishing of an objectionable poster of Shri Kalimata. Leena in the documentary shows Goddess Kali smoking a cigarette while holding an LGPT pride flag. This led to country-wide protests and anger. FIRs were filed against it in Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, and other places. The Bench said pending further orders, no coercive steps shall be taken against the petitioner either on the basis of the FIRs which have been instituted against her or pursuant to any other FIR which may have been lodged or may be lodged hereafter in respect of the same film. “Issue notice returnable on 20th February 2023,” it said.

SC protects filmmaker Leena Manimekalai from arrest in ‘Kaali’ poster row#SC #filmmakers #LeenaManimekalai #Kaali https://t.co/itoy7f4NV1

— Oneindia News (@Oneindia) January 20, 2023

The intention underlying the display of this image is not to hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus, but to make them comprehend the denigration – Editor, Dainik Sanatan Prabhat

The Court in its order said that Leena’s lawyer Advocate Kamini Jaiswal said that Leena is a graduate of Canadian York University. She has produced the documentary ‘Kaali’. There was no intention of hurting anyone’s religious sentiments. The motive of the film was to show the Deity as an all-inclusive character.

Discussion and Debate among the people about the two different positions of the Supreme Court in the cases of Nupur Sharma and Leena Manimekalai !

The public is reacting on social media that the Court’s decision in Leena’s matter is very different from that taken in Nupur’s case. Nupur had made a statement based on Islamic texts about the Prophet’s wife. The Court had held Nupur Sharma responsible for the unrest and discord in the country. It also made strict comments on Nupur’s request to have all the cases in one place. The Court had said that her egoistic, rude, and prejudiced nature was the cause of endangering the security of the country for which she should apologise to the nation.  But in Leena’s case, the Court has taken the opposite view.