Tribunal refuses to clear film on Modi-Kejriwal fight

NEW DELHI: Director Kamal Swaroop’s controversial documentary over the 2014 Narendra Modi-Arvind Kejriwal poll clash ‘Battle for Banares’ has been denied certificate for public exhibition by the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) on grounds that it may cause communal disharmony and cause divisions among members of different castes.
In an order passed on April 4, FCAT headed by Justice S K Mahajan (retired) upheld the censor board’s order that the ‘Dance for Democracy/Battle for Banaras’ was full of “hate and inflammatory speeches given by all the leaders of the political parties’’ and “tries to divide people on caste and communal lines”.
The Central Board of Film Certification had turned down the film’s request for certification following which the filmmakers went in appeal to the FCAT.