Mayawati urges immediate ban on ‘Ghooskhor Pandat’, supports FIR over alleged insult to Brahmin community

Former UP chief minister Mayawati

• Mayawati demands ban on Netflix's 'Ghooskhor Pandat' over Brahmin portrayal
• Lucknow Police file FIR against filmmakers for hurting religious, caste sentiments
• Delhi High Court petition seeks stay on release, citing defamation concerns

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Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Friday demanded that the Central government immediately prohibit the upcoming Netflix web series ‘Ghooskhor Pandat’, alleging that the title and proposed content portray the Brahmin community in a derogatory manner and have triggered widespread anger.

In a post on X, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister expressed strong disapproval of what she described as a growing trend of depicting the term ‘Pandit’ in a negative light.

“It is a matter of great sorrow and concern that, not only in UP alone in recent times, but now even in films, ‘Pandit’ is being portrayed as a bribe-taker and so on, leading to the insult and disrespect of them across the entire country, which has currently spread intense anger throughout the entire Brahmin community; our party also strongly condemns this,” she wrote.

यह बड़े दुख व चिन्ता की बात है कि पिछले कुछ समय से अकेले यू.पी. में ही नहीं बल्कि अब तो फिल्मों में भी ’पंडत’ को घूसखोर आदि बताकर पूरे देश में जो इनका अपमान व अनादर किया जा रहा है तथा जिससे समूचे ब्राह्मण समाज में इस समय ज़बरदस्त रोष व्याप्त है, इसकी हमारी पार्टी भी कड़े शब्दों…

— Mayawati (@Mayawati) February 6, 2026

Calling for immediate action, Mayawati added, “The Central Government should immediately impose a ban on such a caste-indicating film (web series) ‘Ghooskhor Pandat’; this is the demand of the BSP. At the same time, registering an FIR by the Lucknow Police in this regard is an appropriate step.”

Echoing the same concern, Mayawati said it was deeply disturbing that the word ‘pandit’ was allegedly being portrayed as an infiltrator, first in Uttar Pradesh and now in films, resulting in insult and humiliation across the country.

According to her, this has led to “widespread anger among the entire Brahmin community at present.”

Meanwhile, Lucknow Police have registered a first information report at the Hazratganj police station against the filmmaker and his team following multiple complaints.

Police officials said the grievances alleged that the title and content of ‘Ghooskhor Pandat’ hurt religious and caste sentiments and could disturb public harmony.

The FIR was lodged after the Station House Officer of Kotwali Hazratganj, Inspector Vikram Singh, took cognisance of the complaints.

Authorities said there has been growing resentment among members of the Brahmin community and several social organisations, with some groups warning of protests if action was not taken.

According to the FIR, the case has been registered under sections 196 (promoting enmity on grounds of religion, caste and language), 299 (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class), 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) and 353 (related to public mischief) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Section 66 of the Information Technology (Amendment) Act.

Police said a zero-tolerance policy would be followed against any attempt to harm community sentiments or disturb public peace. Further investigation and legal proceedings are underway.

Parallel legal action is also unfolding in the national capital. A writ petition has been filed before the Delhi High Court seeking a stay on the release and streaming of ‘Ghooskhor Pandat’.

Filed by Mahender Chaturvedi through Advocate Vineet Jindal, the plea claims the title and proposed content are defamatory and communally offensive, and argues that associating the term ‘Pandat’ with corruption undermines the dignity of the Brahmin community, while noting that freedom of speech is subject to reasonable restrictions.