Mumbai court issues summons to Mamata Banerjee for alleged 'disrespect to National Anthem’

The order signed by P.I. Mokashi, the Metropolitan Magistrate of 25th Court at Mazgaon in Mumbai's Sewree, read: "Issue process against accused Mamata Banerjee for offence punishable under section 3 of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971 vide Sec. 204(b) of The Code of Criminal Procedure, returnable on March 2, 2022."

The court directed the order based on a complaint filed by advocate Vivekanand Gupta, secretary of the Mumbai unit of the BJP.

Vivekanand Gupta, in his complaint, said that Mamata Banerjee, while on a two-day visit to Mumbai, attended a public function convened by Javed Akhtar at Yashvantrao Chavan Pratishthan in South Mumbai on Dec 1.

Gupta alleged that at the end of the programme, the Bengal CM suddenly started singing the National Anthem in a sitting position, then stood up and sang two more verses. She then abruptly stopped singing and left the venue.

The advocate claimed that the act by Banerjee was an insult and disrespect to the National Anthem.

The court issued the order after finding from prima-facie evidence that the accused, Mamata Banerjee, had "committed punishable under section 3 of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971" while singing the National Anthem.

"...though the accused is Chief Minister of West Bengal, she was not discharging her official duties. Thereby this act of accused…does not come under her official duty. Therefore, sanction is not required and there is no bar to proceed against accused,” the court said.