MP: 2 FIRs against 'Tandav' makers on plaints of Hindutva activists

Two FIRs have been registered against the makers of Amazon Prime web series "Tandav" in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur and Gwalior for allegedly promoting enmity and outraging religious feelings on the complaints lodged by two Hindutva activists, police said on Wednesday.

An FIR has been registered against the makers and cast of "Tandav" in Jabalpur on the complaint lodged by a functionary of Hindu Seva Parishad for allegedly promoting enmity and outraging religious feelings, a police officer said.

Another FIR was registered in Gwalior against the director, writer and producer of 'Tandav' after Hindu Mahasabha worker Lalji Sharma filed the complaint in crime branch's office, police said.

Separately, Madhya Pradesh Assembly protem Speaker Rameshwar Sharma has written a letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray demanding registration of an FIR against the makers of the controversial political drama on the complaint filed by BJP MLA from Mumbai, Ram Kadam, asking him "to take forward the legacy of" Bal Thackeray.

"Tandav", starring actors Saif Ali Khan, Dimple Kapadia, Sunil Grover, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Dino Morea, Kumud Mishra, Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub, Gauhar Khan and Kritika Kamra, premiered on the streaming platform last Friday.

"The process to verify the facts mentioned in the FIR filed against the director of web series ''Tandav'' and others for allegedly promoting enmity in different religious groups and hurting religious feelings is on," Jabalpur''s Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Amit Kumar told reporters.

The FIR against "Tandav" director Ali Abbas, writer Gaurav Solanki and actors was lodged by Dheeraj Gyanchandani at Omti police station on Tuesday night, he said.

Gyanchandani is vice president of Jabalpur-based Hindu Seva Parishad.

Kumar said the charges included sections 153-A (promoting enmity), 295-A (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings) and 505(2) (statements conducing to public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The complainant has been asked to furnish facts about how religious feelings were allegedly hurt through the web series, he said.

Interestingly, Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra on Tuesday said the government will file a case against the makers of "Tandav" for allegedly hurting religious sentiments.

Meanwhile, protem Speaker Rameshwar Sharma told reporters in Bhopal that he has written a letter to the Maharashtra chief minister for registration of an FIR against the makers of the web series.

"The Maharashtra CM should take forward the legacy of Shiv Sena and lat Balasaheb Thackeray irrespective of the fact with whom he formed the government. FIRs were lodged in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. The Maharashtra government should also file the FIR on the complaint of BJP MLA Ram Kadam," Sharma said.

The Shiv Sena shares power with the NCP and Congress in Maharashtra.

In their second apology statement in as many days, the cast and crew of "Tandav" on Tuesday said they had decided to implement changes to "address concerns".

On Monday, Madhya Pradesh medical education minister Vishvas Sarang appealed to Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar seeking ban on the web series for allegedly ridiculing Hindu deities.

Sarang had also written a letter to Javadekar in this regard and suggested formation of a censor board for the OTT segment.

The minister had said that he mailed a letter to the CEO of Amazon Prime to immediately withdraw the web series.