The controversy surrounding Yadav Ji ki Love Story reached the Supreme Court this week, where a petition demanding a ban or change of title was firmly rejected. The plea had been filed by the chief of the Vishwa Yadav Parishad, who argued that the film’s name portrayed the Yadav community unfairly.
According to PTI, a bench comprising Justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan examined the material on record before dismissing the writ petition. On Wednesday, the court observed that the title, on its own, carried no adjective or expression that could be seen as defamatory towards the community. Justice Nagarathna remarked that it was difficult to understand how the mere name of a film could reflect an entire community in poor light.
The bench also referred to its earlier direction in the case of Ghooskhor Pandat, where the word “ghooskhor” meaning corrupt was found to attach a negative connotation. In contrast, the judges noted that no such negativity was present in the current title.
Invoking Article 19(2) of the Constitution, the court clarified that none of the reasonable restrictions on freedom of speech were applicable in this instance. During arguments, the petitioner’s counsel stated they were not opposed to inter-community marriage but objected to the portrayal of a woman in the film. However, the bench maintained that the project was a fictional work and found the apprehensions unfounded.
