Javed Akhtar On Taj Mahal Row

A Mumbai court has acquitted veteran lyricist Javed Akhtar in a defamation case against him over his alleged objectionable remarks on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as the complainant has withdrawn the case. Judicial Magistrate (First Class), Mulund, S D Chakkar, on November 8 disposed of the case as withdrawn. A copy of the order was made available on Monday. Advocate Santosh Dubey, who claims to be an RSS supporter, filed a complaint against Akhtar before the magistrate court in October 2021 for the offences under sections 499 (defamation) and 500 (punishment for defamation) of the Indian Penal Code. He had alleged that Akhtar in a television interview unnecessarily dragged the name of the RSS and defamed the Nagpur-based organisation in a "calculated and well planned move". As per the complaint, Akhtar, in the TV interview, had allegedly drawn parallels between the Taliban and Hindu extremists in the backdrop of the radical outfit seizing power in Afghanistan. However,

Considered one of the seven wonders of the world, the Taj attracts millions of Indian and foreign tourists every year