The High Court of Karnataka on Thursday adjourned to Monday hearing on a public interest litigation petition challenging the instruction to remove three “socially sensitive” art pieces from an exhibition at the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath here.
In his petition, a Bangalore-based advocate, G.R. Mohan, has questioned the “oral instruction” given by the police to the exhibition authorities based on a complaint by politicians against the art work of Anirudh Sainath Krishnamani.
The petitioner, citing a recent incident of issuance of fatwa against the all-girl rock band, “Pragaash” in Kashmir and a similar attack on the artworks of late M.F. Hussain, complained that of late the country has been witnessing a series of such incidents posing a threat to the right of the people to freedom of speech and expression. The petitioner had said that the instruction by the police was in violation of a guideline of the Supreme Court on registering cases based on complaints and conducting investigation, and sought a direction to the authorities concerned to adhere to the guideline.
‘Amend relief’
A Division Bench comprising acting Chief Justice K. Sreedhar Rao and Justice S. Abdul Nazeer adjourned hearing asking the petitioner to amend the relief sought while observing that prayers made in the petition were wide ranging and not specific.
