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Journalism of Courage
After the Akal Takht, Harbhajan Singh8217;s 8216;Ravana act8217; in a TV dance reality show has earned the ire of VHP and other Hindu outfits who have filed a complaint in a Chandigarh court against the cricketer.
Chief Judicial Magistrate Kanchan Mahi fixed the hearing on Monday after Punjab VHP spokesman Vijay Singh Bhardwaj and others alleged in their complaint that Harbhajan, his co-participant TV actress Mona Singh and the channel that aired the programme had 8216;intentionally and deliberately8217; hurt the religious feelings of Hindus.
Bhardwaj was referring to the 28-year-old maverick off-spinner8217;s performance during the show Ek Khiladi, Ek Hasina aired recently.
Arvind Thakur, who is also chairman of Akhil Bhartiya Rajput Council, and the Punjab Unit of Bajrang Dal are also party to the complaint.
The Akal Takht, the temporal seat of Sikhs, had earlier taken exception to the behaviour of the Sikh cricketer which, it said, had caused severe resentment among the community and had sought an apology from him.
8220;To wear a tilak vermilion on the forehead and to dress like Ravana and dance with a woman publicly is highly disgusting. The act was shown on several TV channels and the Sikh community can never tolerate such behaviour,8221; Jathedar Gyani Gurbachan Singh had said on Wednesday.
Two years ago, Harbhajan had apologised after Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee SGPC, the apex religious body of the Sikhs, slammed the bowler for leaving his hair uncovered in an advertisement.
Thakur, also president of an NGO Global Human Rights Counsel, in his complaint against Harbhajan, who is also Deputy Superintendent of Police, pleaded that the defendants be tried and punished for wounding religious feelings and criminal conspiracy.
8220;Under the garb of entertainment the accused have made such gestures and uttered the words8221; which were 8216;highly objectionable8217; and were sung with an intention of wounding the religious feelings of Hindus, he alleged.
