'Pathaan' protest: Court denies bail to man held for shouting inflammatory slogans in Indore

A court on Friday denied bail to a 29-year-old man arrested for allegedly raising inflammatory slogans during a protest over the release of the film Pathaan in Madhya Pradesh's Indore. Additional sessions judge Surekha Mishra rejected the bail plea of Tauseef Shaikh, a tailor, after hearing the arguments of both the sides.

"India is a secular country and no citizen is bigger than the nation. In such a situation, it is the responsibility of every citizen to maintain peace and harmony in the country,'' the court said in its order. The kind of slogans raised by the accused to spread violence and hatred against other religions reflected his "anti-national mindset".

During the arguments on the bail plea, additional public prosecutor Abhijit Singh Rathore appeared for the state government. A protest was held at Kastur Talkies complex in the city on the call of Bajrang Dal during the release of the film Pathaan on January 25.

The right-wing activists had protested against Khan's co-star Deepika Padukone showcasing in a "saffron" bikini in the song "Besharam Rang". People belonging to the Muslim community had alleged that an objectionable slogan was raised against Prophet Mohammad during the Bajrang Dal protest. A large number of people from the community had gathered at Badwali Chowki to protest against the alleged sloganeering on January 25.

The police arrested six persons, including the accused, for allegedly raising the slogan "Sir Tan Se Juda" during the protest, while seven persons, including local Bajrang Dal convener Tannu Sharma, were arrested for allegedly raising objectionable slogans at Kastur Talkies, officials said.