Daily law MCQ Today
In S. Rangarajan v. P. Jagjivan Ram (1989), the Madras High Court had revoked the U…
Media Law Medium
In S. Rangarajan v. P. Jagjivan Ram (1989), the Madras High Court had revoked the U certificate of a Tamil film criticising caste-based reservation, fearing law and order problems. What test did the Supreme Court lay down before a film can be suppressed on the ground of a threat to public order?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. The danger must not be remote, conjectural or far-fetched; the film must be as closely linked to the danger as a spark in a powder keg.
Explanation
The Supreme Court restored the certificate and held that the danger must not be remote, conjectural or far-fetched, but as closely linked to the film as a spark in a powder keg. Suppressing a film because of threatened protests would be a surrender to blackmail and intimidation, and the State cannot plead inability to handle a hostile audience. This case is the foundation of the Indian law against the heckler's veto.
- Legal provision:
- Article 19(2), Constitution of India