NEW DELHI: ‘Thug Life’ may soon be screened in theatres of Karnataka despite Kamal Haasan’s remarks on the Kannada language as Supreme Court on Tuesday asserted that the rule of law, not people’s sentiment, must prevail and that a censor-board-cleared film’s screening cannot be stopped through the threat of mob violence.“As democratic state, Karnataka cannot allow mobs to jeopardise the rule of law,” said a bench of Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and Manmohan while ordering transfer of a petition by Haasan, who had moved Karnataka high court for security to theatres and release of the film in the state, to the apex court.Asking the Siddaramaiah govt to respond by Thursday to a PIL, which will be heard along with the petition transferred from HC, the bench said, “As protectors of rule of law and fundamental rights, including right to freedom of speech and expression, the Supreme Court and the high courts must ensure that Central Board for Film Certification-cleared films are screened in theatres across India.”The bench said, “Public sentiment does not mean a gun is put to the head of the theatre owners to stop screening of the film. We are not saying the public must watch the film. After it is up for screening, it is for the public to decide whether to watch it or not.”Responding to petitioner M Mahesh Reddy’s advocate A Velan’s demand for immediate release of the film in Karnataka, state counsel D L Chidananda told the bench that Haasan has agreed before HC to resolve the issue with the state theatre association. Another counsel said people’s sentiment is involved in the matter and that HC had only asked Haasan to consider tendering an apology or expressing regret for his remark.“The HC had no business to seek regret or apology. As a custodian of rule of law and protector of rights, it should have considered the issue whether a CBFC-cleared film be allowed to be released in theatres of the state,” Justice Manmohan said. He said, “There is something wrong in society. Even if someone makes a wrong statement about a language, it is for the intelligentsia and public to debate, provide proof and prove him wrong.”After citing a recent SC judgment quashing the case against Imran Pratapgarhi for his poem, Justice Bhuyan recalled that Bombay HC had intervened to set aside the Maharashtra and Kerala govts’ ban on staging of the Marathi play ‘Me Nathuram Godse Boltoy’ to uphold the right to freedom of speech. SC had upheld the HC order. “Mahatma Gandhi may be revered. But people can’t be stopped from expressing their views on him. Similarly, a CBFC cleared film cannot be stopped from being screened just because public sentiments are against the actor for an alleged controversial statement,” Justice Bhuyan said.