Punjab CM will not intervene as film won’t release in state

Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday decided not to intervene on the issue of the controversial movie Nanak Shah Fakir in view of the filmmakers’ reported decision not to release the movie in the state.

Any decision to ban the movie had become unnecessary in view of the filmmakers’ decision against releasing it in Punjab, he said.

The makers of the film, in their petition before the SC, stated that “looking at the sensitivity of the issue and the public sentiment involved”, they had decided “not to release the film in the state of Punjab for the time being.”

Taking cognisance of this submission, the chief minister, in a statement issued here, said no action was required on the part of the state government in the matter at present. The government would review the situation and take an appropriate decision if the same becomes necessary in the future, he added.

The chief minister made it clear that his government would take all possible steps, as and when deemed necessary, to ensure that there is no disruption of law and order in the state. Any attempt to vitiate the peaceful atmosphere in the state would be dealt with an iron hand, he said.

Captain Amarinder Singh said he had also taken note of the Akal Takht decision with regard to the film. The Akali Takht had yesterday decided to ban the movie amid protests by several Sikh organisations, who had objected to the portrayal of Guru Nanak ji, saying any on- screen depiction of a Sikh Guru or his family members was against the tenets of Sikh religion. Projecting the Guru and his family as human beings was offensive to the principles of Sikhism, they said.