The Supreme Court on Friday disposed of the writ petition filed by writer and columnist Shobhaa De, following the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker dropping the privilege motion for her tweets on the state government’s decision to make it mandatory for multiplexes to screen Marathi movies during prime time.
Acting on her petition, the apex court bench, comprising Justices Dipak Misra and Prafulla C. Pant, had in April this year stayed the breach of privilege motion initiated by the Maharashtra Assembly. The notice was issued to her after Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik moved a breach of privilege motion in the state Assembly against Ms De.
A few days ago, Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Haribhau Bagde dismissed the privilege motion against her and this was brought to the notice of the bench on Friday morning. Accepting the submission, the bench disposed of the writ petition as nothing survived in it.
The columnist had tweeted, “Bollywood divided over compulsory prime time screening of Marathi films in multiplexes”; “no more pop corn at multiplexes in Mumbai, Dahi missal and vada pav only. To go better with the Marathi movies at prime time”; “Devendra ‘Diktatwala’ Fadnavis is at it again!!! From beef to movies. This is not the Maharashtra we all love! Nako! Nako! Yeh sab roko!” Ms De had tweeted that it was nothing but hooliganism. “I love Marathi movies. Let me decide when and where to watch them, Devendra Fadnavis. This is nothing but Dadagiri.”
Reacting to the tweets, Mr Sarnaik had moved a breach of privilege motion against Ms De for allegedly “insulting CM Devendra Fadnavis and the sentiments of Marathi-speaking people”. In her writ petition, Ms De said she was challenging the mala fide actions of the Maharashtra legislature in issuing a privilege notice under the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Rules read with Article 194 (3) of the Constitution. She said Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik sought to initiate a privilege motion against her claiming that such writings amounted to breach of privilege of the Assembly.
