Two Hyderabad residents, Muqeet Khan and Zaheer Uddin Khan, have moved an intervention application in the Supreme Court, seeking the court's consent in allowing them to intervene in an earlier writ petition filed under Article 32 of the Constitution against Priya Varrier and her wink.
The intervention application states that Muqeet Kahan (first applicant), a student in his 20s, was the one who registered the FIR with the Falaknuma Police against Omar on February 14 and that Zaheer Uddin Khan (second applicant) is “a person deeply engaged in preserving rich Muslim culture and values.”
The applicants together have moved the intervention petition with the SC arguing that "the act of winking is forbidden in Islam" and that when that act if superimposed with a sacred song, it amounts to blasphemy. Further, they’ve also added that the Hindu groups were also negatively affected due to “objectionable picturization of the song”.
The petition also cites the complaint filed at Jinsi police station in Maharashtra by a group of people under the aegis of Janjagran Samithi.
In her February 19 petition to the apex court, Priya Varrier, along with Omar Lulu and others, sought an ex-parte stay on the FIR registered against them and also sought appropriate orders restraining other states from registering FIRs against them.
This was in response to the case registered by Falaknuma police, based on a complaint by Muqeet, against the director under section 295 A (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings) on February 14.
Following this, on February 18, the Hyderabad police sent a notice to Malayalam film director Omar Lulu, seeking an explanation following complaints. The police had asked the director to give an explanation about the song within 15 days.
Ever since the song, ‘Manikya Malaraya Poovi’, from Omar Lulu’s upcoming Oru Adaar Love became a smashing hit, it has managed to create news. Although the song's visuals have several young actors in it, it was Priya Varrier who managed to grab everyone’s attention with her expressions. Her wink, in particular, won several hearts immediately. The young actor was soon dubbed the ‘wink girl’ and became an internet’s favourite.
Several Muslim groups across the country expressed strong objection to the song as the lyrics talks about the love story between Prophet Mohammed and his wife Khadija Bivi.
However what most of these groups seem to be unaware about was the fact that the song was part of popular folk song tradition in Kerala.