‘Will block entry of CBFC chief to Jaipur Lit Fest’
WARNING Both Karni Senas say they will not let Prasoon Joshi enter the sate and attend JLF JAIPUR:
The Shri Rajput Karni Sena on Friday said it will not allow Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chief Prasoon Joshi to enter Rajasthan and attend the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) which begins on January 25.
Joshi is one of the speakers at JLF – one of the most acclaimed literary events worldwide.
On Friday, the Supreme Court had rejected a plea seeking an urgent hearing on a fresh PIL that sought cancellation of CBFC’s certificate granted to the controversial film. The PIL, filed by lawyer ML Sharma, questioned the Censor Board’s certificate to the film and claimed there could be violence if the film is released.
A mail sent to the JLF organisers remained unanswered at the time of going to the press. Calls and text messages, too, remained unanswered.
“We don’t want to hear his lecture. He has put the pride of Rajasthan at stake. How can he deliver a lecture here after humiliating us? People of Rajasthan don’t want such lectures. We will protest against him,” president of the group Mahipal Singh Makrana said.
In a video released on Fridday, Rashtriya Karni Sena, another fringe group, leader Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi said that Joshi has misguided the Supreme Court, who has ordered to stay the ban on the release of the controversial film ‘Padmavaat’ in the four states - Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat.
“We have not received SC’s decision as yet but as soon as we get it, we will go to the President. The court does not give a hearing date before six months, I wonder how Joshi got the date within 12 hours. I am sure he has misled the court,” added Singh.
In the video, Gogamedi is heard saying that “the Prime Minister who asks for votes in name of Hindutva” should step in and the Centre should ban the movie. He also demanded the resignation of Union information and broadcasting minister Smirti Irani.
“Those supporting release of the film or saying anything in support of the film will never be allowed to get into Jaipur,” Gogamedi in the video.
Gogamedi had on Thursday declared that thousands of women would perform jauhar (self-immolation) in Chittorgarh on January 24 to protest against the movie. He has also threatened that cinema halls will be vandalized and Rajputs will be out on the streets if the movie is allowed to release.
The governments of Haryana, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan have declared that they will not allow screening of the movie, which stars Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh in lead roles.
The film, based on the legend of Rani Padmini, a 13th century Hindu Rajput queen, mentioned in Padmavat, an Avadhi poem written by Sufi poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi in 1540, has been facing protests from various groups, for allegedly tampering with historical facts.
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