After UP, now case against makers of 'Tandav' in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh

Case registered in Jabalpur against web series director, writer and other cast-crew on complaint of a right wing Hindu outfit leader.
Writer Gaurav Solanki (L) and a still from 'Tandav'. (Photo| Facebook and YouTube screengrab)
Writer Gaurav Solanki (L) and a still from 'Tandav'. (Photo| Facebook and YouTube screengrab)

BHOPAL: The makers of the controversial web series 'Tandav' are now in trouble in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh also.

A day after two criminal cases were registered by Lucknow and Greater Noida police in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh against makers of the Saif Ali Khan-starrer web series for hurting Hindu religious sentiments, a similar case was registered against them in Jabalpur district.

The case was registered against the Amazon Prime Video web series Tandav’s director Ali Abbas Zafar, its writer Gaurav Solanki and others at the Omti police station of Jabalpur on the complaint of right wing Hindu outfit Hindu Seva Parishad leader Dhiraj Gyanchandani on Tuesday.

According to additional SP (ASP-Jabalpur) Amit Kumar, “In the complaint, the complainant Dhiraj Gyanchandani has alleged that in the 17th minute of the first episode of web series Tandav, the religious sentiments of Hindu community have been hurt. In this context, the police legal opinion was sought, and a case was registered against the web series director Ali Abbas Zafar, its writer Gaurav Solanki and its other cast and crew and further investigations are underway.”

“Action has been initiated against them under IPC Sections 153A  (promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings) and 505(2) (making, publishing or circulating any statement with the intent of inciting any community or class). The police station in-charge has been instructed to the concerned police station staff to complete investigations in the case as early as possible,” the ASP-Jabalpur said.

The complainant Hindu Seva Parishad leader Dhiraj Gyanchandani said, “We’ve also demanded stringent action against the makers of the web series, banning of the web series and ensuring no such web series which hurts Hindu religious sentiments is allowed to be released in future.”

Earlier on Tuesday, notwithstanding the unconditional apology issued by the cast and crew of ‘Tandav,’ the MP home minister Narottam Mishra had said, “Certainly the state government is considering banning the web series Tandav across the state owing to its content and scenes which hurt the feelings of the majority community and also have caste specific insulting scenes and dialogues.”  

“I condemn the insult to our religious feelings by the Saif Ali Khan-starrer web series. The MP government too will register a case against the makers of Tandav. We also demand that the central government draft a policy to regulate web series and OTT platforms in the wake of repeated instances of web series insulting religious sentiments of people, besides serving obscenity. Such a policy is a need of the hour, which bans all such web series,” Mishra said.  

In a related development in the state’s most populated city Indore, the ruling BJP’s Scheduled Caste Cell too has submitted a complaint to the police, demanding registration of a criminal case against the makers of 'Tandav' for having scenes and dialogues which hurt the feelings of the Hindus as well as the Dalits.  

“We’ve received the complaint from BJP SC Cell district president Dishesh Agrawal on Tuesday. The complaint is being investigated,” Agrawal told The New Indian Express.  

Already, two criminal cases have been registered in Lucknow and Greater Noida in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh against the makers of the controversial web series.  

Earlier, on Monday evening, following widespread protests against the web series in various parts of the country, including MP, the cast and crew of Amazon Prime Video’s ‘Tandav’ had issued an unconditional apology in the matter. In the statement they had mentioned that they didn’t intend to hurt religious beliefs or sentiments. 

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