What You Should Know About Aisha Sultana, Lakshadweep Filmmaker Facing Sedition Charges

Who is Aisha Sultana: Actor, model and budding filmmaker Aisha Sultana has been booked for sedition and hate speech by the Kavaratti police. The step was taken after BJP' Lakshadweep unit filed a complaint against Sultana regarding her remarks on the Centre at a panel discussion on a Malayalam news channel.

According to BJP's Lakshadweep unit president Abdul Khader, Sultana, who has been booked under IPC Sections 124 (A) for sedition, and 153 (B) under hate speech allegedly said that the Centre was using COVID-19 as a "bio-weapon" on the people of the Lakshadweep Islands.

Sultana later filed for anticipatory bail in Kerala High Court. In its judgement of June 17, the court granted her bail and made her immune for arrest in the future.

Who is Aisha Sultana, the Lakshadweep filmmaker booked for sedition?

Aisha Sultana is a Lakshadweep based actor, model, and director. Sultana has previously worked with Malayalam filmmaker Lal Jose and has worked as an associate director on the Malayalam film Kettyolaanu Ente Malaakh, starring Uyare actor Asif Ali.

Sultana made her independent directorial debut in 2020 with her Malayalam language film Flush for which she also wrote the script. Filmmaker Lal Jose, known for films Vikramadithyan and Nalpathiyonnu, released the film's interesting teaser poster on his social media last year.

Sultana has been at the forefront in the campaigns against the new reforms and the proposed legislation on the island, which is being opposed by the general public.

BJP's Lakshadweep unit president Abdul Khader filed a petition against Sultana which stated that in a debate on Malayalam news channel 'MediaOne TV' about the ongoing controversial reforms in Lakshadweep, Sultana purportedly said that the Centre was using Administrator of the Union Territory Lakshadweep, Praful Patel as a "bio-weapon" on the group of islands.

Sultana took to her Facebook account to justify her controversial remarks and wrote that she used the word "bio-weapon" because she felt that Patel and his policies have acted like one and that it was through Patel and his entourage, that COVID-19 spread on the island.

Sultana also wrote, "I have compared Patel as a bioweapon, not the government or the country…. You should understand. What else should I call him…”

Lakshadweep Sahitya Pravarthaka Sangam supported Sultana saying that it is not proper to depict her as anti-national and has reacted against the "inhumane approach of the administrator". The organisation's spokesperson K Bahir also added that the cultural community of the island would stand with Sultana.