Despite the Supreme Court on Tuesday refusing to modify its earlier order to allow Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat to be screened in cinema halls across the country, it is unlikely to be released in Rajasthan on Thursday. While the film distributors announced their unwillingness to buy its rights, Rajput groups demanded an ordinance to ban the movie.
With the police gearing up to deal with the law and order situation, Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria said the State government would comply with the apex court’s direction and facilitate the film’s exhibition if it was released. “We have no other alternative. We will ensure law and order as per the court's decision,” he said.
Rajput Karni Sena, Rajput Sabha and other groups convened an emergency meeting of the newly formed Sarva Samaj Sangharsh Samiti at Rajput Sabha Bhavan here and demanded that the State government promulgate an Ordinance to ban Padmaavat , like Tamil Nadu did to permit Jallikattu after a judicial ban.
Sangharsh Samiti convenor Giriraj Singh Lotwara said the Rajput community would stage huge demonstrations all over Rajasthan to demand ban on the film. “If the law and order gets disturbed, it will be the State government's responsibility. We feel that the go-ahead given to Padmaavat has hurt people's sentiments, as this matter is connected with national prestige and women's honour,” he said.
Demonstrations were held outside cinema theatres and on roads in several towns across the State, where the protesters raised slogans and demanded an apology from Mr. Bhansali. Tyres were burnt to block roads in Pokhran, Bhilwara and Sawai Madhopur. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal activists joined the protest at several places.
Karni Sena president Mahipal Singh Makrana said a “janata curfew” (public curfew) would be enforced on Thursday. The Rajput body also announced that a nine-member committee would watch the film on Mr. Bhansali's invitation on the condition that the film-makers make changes if anything “objectionable” was found in it.
Historians, Royals on Karni Sena panel for ‘Padmaavat’
The Karni Sena, which has been spearheading the protests against the film, responded to a letter by Bhansali productions and disclosed that a six member panel would watch the film before its release as proposed by by the filmmakers.
Historians R.S. Khangarot, B.L. Gupta, Kapil Kumar, Roshan Sharma and erstwhile Mewar royal family member Vishwaraj Singh and erstwhile Banswara royal family member Jagmal Singh were the six persons, the Karni Sena leader said.
Khangarot is the principal of Agrawal college in Jaipur, B.L. Gupta is a retired professor of the history department of the University of Rajasthan, Jaipur while Roshan Sharma is a Jaipur based historian. Kapil Kumar is a Delhi-based historian.
“We know that the filmmaker is doing nothing but drama in the name of pre-screening. We were never against the film’s screening but he should make sure that the suggestions our members give should be considered and changes should be made accordingly,” Kalvi, who was in Porbandar in Gujarat, said over the phone.
