After being banned and labelled
as "inappropriate" to be released by the Censor Board, the
controversial film "Messenger of God" that has Dera Sachcha Suada
head Gurmeet Ram Raheem Singh in the lead role has reportedly been cleared by
the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT). The Censor Board Chief Leela
Samson has said that she has made up her mind to step down from the post.
When the media asked her for
comments, she said, "I hear so. Nothing in writing yet. It is a mockery of
Central Board of Film Certification. My resignation is final. Have informed the
(I&B) Secretary." FCAT has not released its official decision on the
topic yet.
Earlier, the Censor Board had
sent the movie to FCAT to get clearance. The film was scheduled to get released
in theatres this Friday.
Samson was not fairly open on
what made her resign; she alleged "interference, coercion and corruption
of panel members and officers of the organization who are appointed by the
ministry." She added,
"...having to manage an organization whose Board has not met for over nine
months as the ministry had no funds to permit the meeting of members."
According to her, all the members
and the Chairperson of the censor board have served their respective tenures.
The new government has not been able to appoint the new board and a new
Chairperson yet, therefore some of them had been given extension and asked to
carry on until the appointment process is completed.
She seemed pretty unhappy with
the I&B ministry, "However, recent cases of interference in the
working of the CBFC by the ministry, through an 'additional charge' CEO, and
corrupt panel members has caused a degradation of those values that the members
of this Board of CBFC and Chairperson stood for," she said.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson the
Dera Sachcha Sauda has said, "as per our information, FCAT has cleared the
movie for release. But a written order is awaited."
A Bharatanatyam dancer,
choreographer, instructor, and writer, Leela Samson, 63, has previously served
as the head of Sangeet Natak Academy from August 2010 to October 2014. She was
awarded Padma Shri for her contribution to the art of Bharatanatyam.
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