A Mumbai court has summoned West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for allegedly insulting the national anthem during her visit to Mumbai last year. The court has directed the Trinamool Congress supremo to appear before it on March 2.
The complaint against Mamata Banerjee was lodged by Mumbai BJP leader Vivekanand Gupta. He approached the metropolitan magistrates court at Mazgaon in December 2021 with a complaint. In the complaint, he alleged that Banerjee had shown disrespect to the national anthem during her visit to the city. He further demanded that an FIR should be registered against her.
The court said that it is prima facie evidence from the complaint, video clip in the DVD and video clips on YouTube links, verification statement of the complainant that Mamata Banerjee sang the national anthem, stopped abruptly and left the dais.
This prima facie proves that the accused committed an offence that is punishable under Section 3 of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971.
Meanwhile, the court said that though the accused is the chief minister of West Bengal, she was not discharging her official duties when she was attending the event in Mumbai. Thus, the act of the accused, though she is the chief minister of West Bengal, does not come under her official duty.
Therefore, the sanction is not required and there is no bar to proceed against the accused.
What happened during Mamata Banerjee’s visit to Mumbai last year?
Mamata Banerjee visited Mumbai last year where she met leaders of the ruling Shiv Sena and the NCP in Maharashtra at an event.
Vivekanand Gupta, who filed the complaint, said that Banerjee violated the Union Home Ministry’s order of 2015. The order states that whenever the national anthem is played or sung, the audience shall stand to attention.