Film critic Mahesh Kathi has been externed from Hyderabad for his derogatory comments about Hindu deities Ram and Sita. Kathi made the comments during a debate in a local television channel about the sedition case against rationalist Babu Gogineni, and later engaged in a war of words with Hindu seer Paripoorananda Saraswati of the Kakinada Sri Peetham.
Complaints were filed against Kathi with the Hyderabad Police.
On July 2, the Hyderabad Police registered a case against Kathi under the IPC section 295A(deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings) and questioned him. Following this, he was externed to Chittoor under the Telangana Prevention of Anti-Social and Hazardous Activities Act.
The Prevention of Anti-Social and Hazardous Activities Act was amended on November 7, 2017, to make it the Telangana Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Bootleggers, Dacoits, Drug-Offenders, Goondas, Immoral Traffic Offenders and Land-Grabbers (Amendment) Act, 2017. It provides for jail or externment from six to 12 months.
Kathi was escorted to Chittoor by the police. He cannot return to Hyderabad for six months and if he does so, he will be found in violation of the law and immediately prosecuted. Paripoorananda Saraswati was placed under house arrest by the police to prevent him from going on a yatra against the critic. A showcause notice has been issued to the television channel that broadcast the show.
Many right-wing activists have protested Kathi’s comments. To avoid possible riots, Kathi was externed, the Telangana DGP Mahender Reddy said.
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For his court appearances, Kathi will be allowed to visit Hyderabad but only for the extent of the session.
Kathi claimed that he was being persecuted as he was a Dalit, and said that the Constitution had given him the right to free speech. The Hyderabad Police has come in for a lot of criticism on social media for its decision to extern. A few of them, however, have congratulated the DGP for his decision.
Image Courtesy: Mirchi 9