Stating that a tourist state like Goa could not afford law and order problems, Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Thursday said that he would “look into” the demand of the BJP state women’s wing to ban the screening of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s film Padmavati , until its allegedly controversial portions are deleted.
Mr. Parrikar was speaking to presspersons after a delegation of Goa Bharatiya Janata Party’s Mahila Morcha, led by president Sulakshana Sawant, met him at his official residence to demand a ban on the film’s screening in Goa.
They also claimed that the film was portraying distorted history.
“The other issue about this controversy is a law and order problem, which Goa cannot afford in the tourist season. A tourist state has to be peaceful. So we will look into both aspects of it. As of now, the censor certificate is not granted. We will take a call after censor certificate is granted,” Mr.Parrikar said.
The Chief Minister also said that the issues raised by delegation, including wrong portrayal of queen Padmavati were also justifiable. He had earlier accepted their memorandum. “My personal opinion is that history should be portrayed correctly. If history is portrayed in a wrong way, then people’s sentiments might be hurt,” Mr. Parrikar said.
The memorandum of the Morcha said that the film “distorts history” and “wrongly links adored queen Padmavati wth Muslim ruler Allaudin Khilji who is an aggressor”.
“ The history has depicted ‘Padmavati’ as having committed johar to escape dishonour. Large sections of the Indian people adore queen Padmavati for her valour and chivalry,” the memorandum stated.
“The release of the controversial film is likely to hurt the sentiments of a large section of society creating unrest in peaceful Goa. The sentiments of women have also been hurt by the wrongful portrayal of queen Padmavati and her association with Khilji is unacceptable,” memorandum submitted to Parrikar stated, inter alia.
