Amid a raging controversy over Hindi movie Padmavati , Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday said the director of the film was "as guilty" as those groups issuing threats of violence to its lead actress Deepika Padukone.
"Nobody has the right to take the law into their hands. Be it Sanjay Leela Bhansali or anybody else. I feel that if those issuing threats are guilty, then Bansali is no less guilty...who has got used to hurting public sentiments," Mr. Adityanath said.
If action is taken, the UP CM continued, it will be against both sides in equal measure.
His comments came in the backdrop of self-proclaimed Rajput groups threatening to chop off Ms. Padukone's nose and beheading Sanjay Leela Bhansali, the director of Padmavati , for portraying the character in a dishonorable manner.
When asked what he thought about the threats of violence, Mr. Adityanath gave a vague reply, saying both sides should respect each other's sentiments.
Meanwhile, jumping into the issue, Samajwadi Party senior MLA Azam Khan taunted Rajput groups for taking umbrage over the film. He said those people who were protesting against the film, are the same who prostrated before the British till only a few years ago.
Mr. Khan, when addressing a function in Rampur, also drew parallels with 1960 epic Hindi feature Mughal-e-Azam , saying that the film faced no objection despite being further from historical facts.
"A famous film to be made in India was Mughal-e-Azam . Anarkali was shown as Salim's lover. There is no such story. It has no relation with history. But no Muslim expressed objection to it because it was only a story and the hearts of Muslim are not so tiny," Mr. Khan said.
He taunted Rajput groups saying they were scared of a dancer, a reference to Padmavati ' s character in the film.
The UP government had a few days ago written to the Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry requesting deferment in the release of the film , arguing that's its resources were too stretched to maintain law and order in the wake of any possible violence or protest by the various Rajput groups.
