De’s tweets on Marathi film exhibition, SC makes Maha party

Maharashtra was on Friday allowed by Supreme Court to be impleaded as a party to the plea of author Shobhaa De challenging the breach of privilege motion notice of state assembly against her for tweets on a decision to make exhibition of Marathi films mandatory in multiplexes.

A bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra and Prafulla C Pant accepted the submission of Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi that the state be made a party for enabling it to contest the plea and assist the court. The court, on April 28, had stayed the breach of privilege motion notice issued against the socialite-columnist by the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker for her tweets on the state government's decision to make it mandatory for multiplexes to screen Marathi movies during prime time.