The release of the biopic on Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been delayed and it won’t be out on Friday, the film’s producer Sandip Ssingh confirmed.
PM Narendra Modi, featuring Vivek Oberoi, was to release on 5 April, ahead of Lok Sabha polls which begin on 11 April.
The film has been in the centre of a controversy after Opposition parties, including the Congress, said that it will give undue advantage to the BJP and the release should be deferred till the elections are over.
The Election Commission had sent a notice to the BJP and the makers of ‘PM Narendra Modi’ after a meeting with the Congress delegation.
In their reply to the EC, the makers said a ban or delay on the film’s release would “adversely affect the democracy and rule of law” on several counts.
The makers said their film did not violate the Model Code of Conduct because it was “a biography in a visual medium”, according to The Indian Express.
The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear on 8 April a Congress leader’s plea seeking stay on the release.
A bench headed by Justice SA Bobde said it will hear the plea on Monday.
Senior advocate AM Singhvi, appearing for petitioner advocate Aman Panwar, spokesperson of the Congress, said two high courts have refused to interfere with the release of the movie starring Vivek Oberoi.
He submitted that the release of the movie may affect free and fair election as mandated in the Constitution.
The Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court had on Wednesday rejected a plea seeking ban on the release of the movie and the Bombay High Court had also on Monday disposed of a plea seeking deferment of the release.
(With PTI inputs)