HC to hear the plea seeking ban on screening of ‘The Accidental Prime Minister’

Chandigarh: A petition has been filed before the Punjab and Haryana high court seeking directions to ban the screening of the movie ‘The Accidental Prime Minister’.

Arguing that the feature film undermines the integrity and authority of the Prime Minister’s office (PMO), the petitioner has mainly challenged the certification given by the censor board. It has also been argued that former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was a public figure and the movie intended to lower his image.

The petition, filed by Punjab sports minister Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi’s son Anumit Sodhi is expected to be heard by the high court on Wednesday.

The petitioner has also submitted that the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) guidelines on films based on real-life characters make a no-objection certificate mandatory, which was not sought in the present case. It has also been submitted that the movie was a political propaganda with the elections nearing.

The movie is slated for release on Friday. ‘The Accidental Prime Minister’ is a biopic on India’s former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and is based on a book by the same name which was authored by his former media advisor. Actor Anupam Kher has played the role of the former PM.