Kathmandu: Just after the Patan High Court issued an interlocutory interim order, stating that the screening of Indian movies should not be stopped in Nepal, Kathmandu mayor Balen Shah expressed his refusal to comply with the decision.
The order was issued by a single bench judge, Dhir Bahadur Chand, following a writ petition filed by the Nepali Film Association. The court has said that the movies granted permission for screening by the Censor Board should not be banned.
Mayor Shah took to Facebook to convey his stance, asserting that he would not adhere to the court’s decision, particularly concerning Nepal’s sovereignty and independence.
In an earlier statement on Monday, Shah had announced a ban on all Indian movies from being screened in cinemas within the Kathmandu Metropolitan City. This decision was prompted by a controversy surrounding certain dialogues in Indian movies, including the reference to Sita as “India’s daughter.”
Shah justified his ban by citing Articles 5 and 56 (6) of the Constitution of Nepal, which entrust the responsibility of protecting the national interest to the federal, provincial, and local governments.
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