Court summons programme director of Colors TV channel

Chandigarh, Oct 13 (IANS) A local court Monday summoned the programme director of TV channel Colors over a controversial dance number 'Ravana-Sita', performed by off-spinner Harbhajan Singh and TV actress Mona Singh, for allegedly hurting the sentiments of a religious community.

The programme director was summoned with all the required records Oct 23.

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The court of Chief Judicial Magistrate had admitted the criminal complaint, filed by the radical Hindu organisation Vishwa Hindu Parishad and a non-government organisation Global Human Rights Council, Friday against the performers of the reality show. Colors has also been named in the complaint.

The court started to weigh the evidence in the case Monday.

Harbhajan, popular in cricket circles as Bhajji, and his dance partner Mona Singh, both of whom are Sikhs, had last week performed a number on the dance reality show 'Ek Khiladi, Ek Hasina' depicting themselves as mythological demon-king Ravana and Lord Ram's wife Sita.

In Hindu mythology, Ram's wife Sita was abducted by demon-king Ravana.

Radical Hindu organisations objected to the dance number that allegedly mocked religious sentiments. It drew condemnation and called for an apology from the highest temporal seat of the Sikh religion - the Akal Takht.

The head of the Akal Takht said both celebrities had offended Hindus and Sikhs and should apologise for their act.