Mumbai court orders author Javed Akhtar to appear in the case

Taking cognizance of the criminal complaint filed against author, lyricist and scriptwriter Javed Akhtar for offenses under sections 499 and 500 of the IPC, Mumbai's Mulund Metropolitan Magistrate Court has ordered him to remain present in the court on February 6. Javed Akhtar is accused of defaming the RRS by comparing it with the Taliban in a private interview in September 2021. Mumbai's lawyer Santosh Dubey has complained in Mulund court. On which the court has issued process against Javed Akhtar for the offense of section 499, 500 of IPC and the next date for his appearance has been given on 6 February 2023.

Javed Akhtar is often in discussion about his statements. He had said recently that he is a patriot and his thinking was never "anti-national". The lyricist is often called anti-national by people on social media for his various posts.

Javed Akhtar had said in an event organized in Mumbai, "I am only a patriot, everyone else is anti-national. I have never had such (anti-national) ideology or thoughts." Earlier he had called the right-wing ideology "oppressive".