Maharashtra Govt Seeks A Ban On The Screening Of Muhammad: The Messenger Of God

Maharashtra's Home Minister Anil Deshmukh in a letter dated 15 July has requested the Narendra Modi led central government to block the screening of the movie Muhammad: The Messenger Of God which is scheduled for digital release in India on 21 July.

In the complaint addressed to Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, Deshmukh mentions the complaint by Raza Academy demanding a ban on the distribution of the film.

In the letter, Raza Academy said, “Ever since the news of its release has been published there has been an uproar in the community and we have been receiving hundreds of calls to get the film banned as it is completely blasphemous.”

The Raza Academy in 2015, had issued a fatwa against acclaimed music composer AR Rahman and Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi for making a film on Prophet Muhammad.

In the letter Deshmukh says that the complainant Raza Academy has made serious allegations that the movie would hurt the sentiments and will be considered blasphemous by a "particular community".

"The movie can potentially disturb the religious sentiments of citizens in the country and may cause religious tensions creating law and order problems in the country", says the Maharashtra Home Ministry letter.

The Ministry thus demands that digital platforms which will air the movie be blocked under the section 69A of the IT act. It also seeks that platforms like YouTube, Facebook and WhatsApp be instructed to place similar bans on their platform.