Mumbai: Maharashtra Samajwadi Party leader and MLA Abu Asim Azmi has appealed to the countrymen not to throw colors on Muslims during Jumme ki Namaaz on Holi and has also requested Muslims to show patience and restraint.

He said that if colors are thrown on someone knowingly or unknowingly, they should be patient as communal forces are trying to spoil the atmosphere. He said that Friday of Holi and Ramzan is the same day in the country and Jumme ki Namaaz is very beneficial. This prayer and worship cannot be done at home, so Muslims go to the mosque in large numbers for Jumme ki Namaaz. In such a situation, miscreants also try to spread chaos. Muslims should be careful in such a situation.

Along with this, I also appeal to my countrymen to show brotherhood and Hindus and Muslims should celebrate the festival together. This is the beauty of this country, but communal elements are trying to spoil it.

Mumbai: Intolerance and dissent from the orthodoxy have been a bane of Indian society, the Bombay High Court said, quoting author A G Noorani, while quashing a complaint against singer Kailash Kher for allegedly hurting religious sentiments with a song on Lord Shiva.

A division bench of Justices Bharati Danger and S C Chandak said there was no deliberate or malicious intent on Kher’s part, who had only sung the song ‘Babam Bam’, to hurt anyone’s religious sentiments or feelings.

A copy of the order of March 4 was made available on Thursday,

The complaint was filed by one Narinder Makkar before a local court in Ludhiana seeking registration of a case against the singer under Indian Penal Code sections 295A and 298, concerning outraging religious feelings with deliberate and malicious intent.

The complainant claimed to be a Shiva worshiper and said Kher’s song ‘Babam Bam’ on Lord Shiva depicted a vulgar video showing scantily dressed women and people kissing.

The high court while quashing the complaint filed before the Ilaka judicial magistrate in Ludhiana said the lyrics of the song sung by Kher is nothing but praise of Lord Shiva and the attributes of his mighty character.

“Every action which may be to the dislike of a class of people may not necessarily lead to outraging religious sentiments,” the court said.

The bench quoted author A G Noorani and said, “Intolerance of dissent from the orthodoxy of the day has been the bane of Indian society for centuries.

But it is precisely in the ready acceptance of the right to dissent as distinct from its mere tolerance, that a free society distinguishes itself.”

In the order, the bench said that to attract the offence under IPC section 295A, there has to be a deliberate attempt by the person to outrage someone’s religious feelings.

The court said the only accusation against Kher is that he is dancing with some scantily dressed girls in the video which according to the complainant is vulgar and hence hurt his religious feelings and emotions.

The offence is not made out against Kher as there is no deliberate and malicious intention on his part, who is just singing the song, HC said.

Kher had moved HC in 2014 when the complaint was lodged in the Ludhiana court in Punjab. At that time, the HC had in an interim relief said no coercive action should be taken against the singer.

In his plea filed through advocate Ashok Sarogi, Kher said he was only the singer of the song and that the video was choreographed by another company through Sony Music Entertainment.

Sarogi had argued that the video of the song was released only after it was granted clearance by the Central Board of Film Certification.

Mumbai: Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik on Wednesday told the assembly that four officials have been suspended and 22 security guards transferred following the incident of assault on a woman at Swargate bus station in Thane.

Sarnaik informed that the incident occurred a few days ago inside a Shivshahi ST bus at Swargate bus station. The victim filed a complaint at the Swargate police station, prompting the government to take serious note of the matter. Orders for an inquiry were issued to the vice chairman and managing director of the state transport corporation.

Based on the inquiry report, senior depot manager Jayesh Patil, junior depot manager Pallavi Patil, assistant traffic inspector Sunil Yele, and assistant traffic superintendent Mohini Dhage have been suspended for negligence in ensuring passenger safety. Additionally, 22 security guards stationed at Swargate have been transferred.

The minister warned that any future lapses in ensuring the safety of female passengers would lead to strict action against the responsible officers and staff.