NGO moves Supreme Court challenging Bombay HC order on 'Udta Punjab'

A Punjab-based NGO has moved the Supreme Court against the release of controversial Bollywood film ‘Udta Punjab’. The NGO has challenged the Bombay High Court order which said that film can be released with just one cut instead of 89. Now, the NGO named Human Rights Awareness Association has moved the Supreme Court urging to stay the film’s release on June 17 as it "projected the state in a bad light".

It has requested an urgent hearing, however the apex court says it would ''mention'' the petition on Thursday.

The Bombay High Court had on Tuesday struck down all but one of 89 cuts made to the controversial film by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

The NGO told a Supreme Court vacation bench that the Bombay High Court "could not have interfered with the decision of the CBFC.”

Last week, Anurag Kashyap's Phantom Films had moved Bombay High Court against the CBFC's cuts. Punjab is facing a massive drug abuse problem with more than 70 per cent of young people being addicted to drugs, according to a study by Guru Nanak Dev University.

Cuts were recommended by the censor board in 13 categories that included references to Punjab and other cities in the movie, deletion of words like "MLA", "election" and "party" worker, abusive words in songs and dialogue.

Another Punjab based NGO named Fateh Foundation had last week said that it would press for Udta Punjab's release with absolutely no cuts whatsoever.

"So what is wrong if a movie shows the same thing that people are already talking about," he asked. "I am of view that there is pressure (to block it) from a strong political lobby whose electoral interests are at stake as the movie reveals the rampant abuse of 'chitta' (heroin) in Punjab", Anoop Singh Bhullar, the chairman of the NGO, said. "We will try to impress upon CBFC the importance of revelations in Udta Punjab for the people of nation," Bhullar said last week.