Javed Akhtar receives notice on suit over RSS-Taliban remarks

 Javed Akhtar had spoken about right-wing politics and drawn an indirect parallel between the Taliban and right-wing organisations in India on a news channel.

Mumbai: A Thane court on Monday ordered issuance of a show-cause notice to noted Bollywood lyricist Javed Akhtar on a defamation suit filed against him over his alleged remarks seeking to compare the RSS with the Taliban.

The suit, filed by RSS activist Vivek Champanerkar in the court of the additional chief judicial magistrate and joint civil judge (senior division), seeks Re 1 as compensation from Akhtar.

The court ordered the issuance of the notice returnable on November 12.

The 76-year-old poet, lyricist and screenwriter triggered a controversy early this month when he told a news channel that right-wing all over the world have an uncanny similarity.

"The Taliban want an Islamic country. These people want to make a Hindu Rashtra," the former Member of Parliament said without naming the Nagpur-headquartered Hindutva organisation.

Advocate Aditya Mishra, who appeared for the complainant, argued at length in the court and claimed the defendant (Akhtar) had made "derogatory" remarks against the RSS while appearing in a show of a private news channel.