Political slugfest over Padmaavat in UP
LUCKNOW: Two days ahead of the scheduled release of Padmavaat on January 25, the Congress accused the BJP governments in UP and in other states of fanning the fire against the film by not acting against those threatening cinema hall owners. The Congress attack came after the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), an affiliate of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), jumped into the controversy. The VHP said it didn’t want its cadres to stage protests outside theatres that would screen the film, but it was principally opposed to such historical or period dramas accused of distorting history.
LUCKNOW: Even as fear of vandalism was palpable among some theatre owners two days before the release of controversial Bollywood film Padmaavat on January 25, the Congress accused the BJP governments in UP and in other states of fanning the fire against the film by not acting against those threatening cinema hall proprietors.
The Congress attack came after the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), an affiliate of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), jumped into the controversy. The VHP said it didn’t want its cadres to stage protests outside theatres that would screen the film, but it was principally opposed to such historical or period dramas accused of distorting history. The VHP’s stand was confirmed by its Ayodhyabased leader Sharad Sharma even as the Supreme Court rejected fresh pleas of the Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh governments seeking a ban on the film that Rajput bodies claim distorts queen Padmavati’s character.
“I would like to know why the BJP governments here and elsewhere haven’t acted against such elements unwilling to let the Supreme Court order be implemented. I wonder if such
elements have tacit support of the BJP,” Congress leader Surendra Rajput said.
On Sunday, youths of several Rajput bodies including Karni Sena, All India Kshatriya Mahasabha, along with some right wing bodies like Hindu Sena, had chanted slogans that all such cinema halls will be burnt down if they screen Padmaavat. Asked if the police intended to crack down on protestors threatening the movie’s release, new DGP OP Singh made a cryptic remark ‘appropriate action will be taken at the appropriate time’. For their part, theatre owners and film distributors admitted that there was a sense of fear among cinema hall owners and multiplexes.
“As of now, it’s difficult to tell how many theatres in UP will eventually screen the film. Yes, everyone will like to screen it, but it’s equally true that so many of them are scared. So it’s up to the government to ensure that adequate security is provided to the theatre owners,” a film distributor said on phone from Delhi. On Tuesday, youths of the Karni Sena claimed that they had started meeting theatre owners to convince them not to screen the film.
In Varanasi, RSS leader Indresh Kumar said film-makers should show ‘Padmaavat’ to the people whose sentiments had been hurt by it. They should try to know the reasons for anger brewing among the people, he added.