Kher keeps his word

Anupam Kher has kept his word. He has filed a criminal case against the Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Harkishan Singh Surjeet. The CPI(M) leader had called Anupam Kher an RSS man.

Kher, an acting veteran, was removed as the Censor Board chief soon after Surjeet’s article appeared in the party magazine People’s Democracy. Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh is not a compliment in the Indian Communist’s language.

Kher is angry at his unceremonious sacking. At a press conference in Delhi, he had said he would sue the pants off the geriatric Leftist leader who spewed so much venom against him just because he was appointed by the previous government at the centre led by the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Since this government led by the Congress is supported by the Communists from outside, leaders like Surjeet have a lot of say in how things run. His article, in which he mentioned Kher, apparently triggered obedience in Information and Broadcasting Minister Jaipal Reddy, who was quick to send Kher a letter of removal.

So Kher has finally gone to court, though not against Reddy, whose power to remove Kher would not stand challenge in the court of law. So Kher has directed his anger at Surjeet.

The Mumbai court has adjourned the matter to November 17 for verification of the complaint. Kher said that in his article, Surjeet had held him responsible for saffronising the Central Board of Film Certification to suit Sangh’s ideology.

Kher has charged Surjeet with Sections 499 and 500 of Indian Penal Code, which deal with defamation and publishing defamatory matter respectively.

Kher had earlier sent a legal notice to Surjeet asking him to publicly deny the statement within 48 hours or face legal action. Surjeet did not respond. And we have someone finally suing him.