Mumbai: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee faces court process for allegedly insulting and showing disrespect to the National anthem during her two-day visit to Mumbai last month.
Metropolitan magistrate P Mokashi on Wednesday said that Mamata has prima facie committed offence which are punishable under section 3 of Prevention of Insult to National Honour Act, 1971 and attracts punishment of up to three years’ imprisonment or fine or both for intentionally preventing someone from singing the Indian National Anthem, Hindustan Times reported.
Advocate Vivekanand Gupta, secretary of BJP’s Mumbai unit, had filed the complaint against Mamata to the metropolitan magistrate court.
Gupta said in the complaint that Mamata, who attended a public function convened by Javed Akhtar, started singing the National anthem while sitting at the end of the programme. She then stood up, sang two more verses before abruptly stopping singing and leaving the venue, Gupta stated.
Accepting Gupta’s contention, Mokashi said: “It is prima facie evident from the complaint, verification statement of the complainant, video clip in the DVD (submitted by advocate Gupta), video clips on the YouTube links that the accused (Banerjee) had sung National Anthem and stopped abruptly and left the Dias, which prima facie prove that the accused has committed (offence) punishable under section 3 of the Prevention of Insult to National Honour Act, 1971.”
The court will next hear the matter on March 2.
