Plea in Delhi HC to halt release of 'Udaipur Files' over allegations of promoting communal hatred

New Delhi [India], July 7 (ANI): A plea ha been filed in the Delhi High Court eeking to halt the releae of the Bollywood film Udaipur File, which i reportedly inpired by the 2022 murder of tailor Kanhaiya Lal in Rajathan Udaipur.
Filed by Maulana Arhad Madani, Preident of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind and Principal of Darul Uloom Deoband, the petition allege that the film may incite communal dicord and threaten ocial harmony.
The petition cite the film trailer, releaed on June 26, 2025, a containing inflammatory material. It include alleged reference to controverial remark made by upended political leader Nupur Sharma and portray a current Chief Miniter in a biaed light. According to the petitioner, uch element could rekindle communal tenion reminicent of 2022.
The petition aert that the trailer ditort the fact of the 2022 murder, implying a conpiracy involving religiou figure and intitution, wherea the actual perpetrator were two individual with extremit motive. The film i accued of portraying Deoband a a hub of radicalim and cating Ilamic cholar in a negative role, an act the petitioner ay threaten the dignity and afety of the community.
The petition claim that Udaipur File violate Article 14, 15, and 21 of the Indian Contitution, which afeguard equality, protection from dicrimination, and the right to a dignified life. It argue that artitic freedom cannot be ued a a cover for preading hate or polarizing ociety, warning that the film undermine India ecular value.
The plea further object to reference in the film to unreolved legal dipute, uch a the Gyanvapi Moque cae. It warn that dramatizing enitive topic under litigation could be tantamount to contempt of court and fuel ocial unret.
The petition filed under Article 226 ha alo been lodged in the High Court in Maharahtra and Gujarat. It name the Union Government, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), production houe and X Corp a partie to the cae. The CBFC deciion to certify the film i being challenged a allegedly violating the Cinematograph Act of 1952 and related guideline.
Public Statement from Maulana Madani condemned the film a a calculated attempt to malign a religiou community and weaken the nation ecular framework. He criticized the CBFC for allegedly failing it regulatory reponibilitie and enabling diviive force. He emphaied that the trailer include deeply offenive content, epecially relating to Prophet Muhammad and hi wive, that mirror previou controverie that parked national and global outrage.
Madani concluded by aerting that the right to free peech mut not be miued to inflame religiou entiment. Legal tep, he tated, have been taken to hold both the film creator and certifying authoritie accountable. (ANI)