The trouble for three prominent celebrities of the Indian entertainment industry has mounted further after a third police complaint was filed against actress Raveena Tandon, director-choreographer Farah Khan and comedian Bharti Singh of The Kapil Sharma Show in Punjab’s Rupnagar district for hurting religious sentiments.
Two police complaints have already filed against the three entertainment artists in Punjab’s Amritsar and Ferozpur districts in the same case. Another FIR was filed in Maharashtra’s Beed district. Angry Christians had also staged protests in some places in Punjab and Jammu.
Quoting SSP Swapan Sharma, news agency PTI reported that Raveena, Farah and Bharti were booked under Indian Penal Code section 295-A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs). The latest complaint was filed by All India Christian Welfare Front chairman Charan Masih.
The three celebrities have already apologised but that hasn’t stopped the protests against them in Punjab and the neighbouring Jammu and Kashmir.
An online petition on change.org had demanded the removal of Bharti Singh from The Kapil Sharma Show.
The three artists are accused of making fun of the religiously pious word Hallelujah in a programme called Backbenchers. Bharti had also wrongly spelled Hallelujah on a blackboard.
Who deserves to win #BigBoss13 despite the show's alleged biases and support for violent behaviour?
— Janta Ka Reporter (@JantaKaReporter) January 5, 2020
Faced with condemnation, the three had to issue unconditional apologies. Farah had written in her apology note, “I’m extremely saddened that some sentiments have been inadvertently hurt by a recent episode of my show. I respect all religions, n it would never be my intention 2disrespect any.On behalf of the entire team, Raveena Tandon, Bharti Singh and Myself.. we do sincerely apologise.”
Bharti’s apology had read, “From the bottom of my heart I would like to say Sorry to my Christian brothers and sisters for hurting their sentiments.Thank you YOUR EMINENCE CARDINAL OSWALD for personally hearing my apology in the voice note(as I’m not in the country)& forgiving me.
Yours Truly,Bharti Singh.”
Last week, even Raveena had apologised after she took to Twitter to write, “Please do watch this link. I haven’t said a word that can be interpreted as an insult to any religion. The three of us (Farah Khan, Bharti Singh and I) never intended to offend.”