In a fresh twist to the protests by Hindu groups against Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmavati, Punjab’s Congress chief minister, Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday too opposed its release.
Justifying the protests against the film, he told ANI, “Nobody will accept distortion of history and those who are protesting are rightly doing so.”
In neighbouring Jammu and Kashmir, the National Conference too wrote to Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti asking her to ban its release in the state. The NC’s spokesperson Devender Singh Rana said that he written to Mufti asking not to allow the release of Padmavati in the state till the film’s contents were verified.
The stand taken by Singh and the NC was in sharp contrast with that of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who likened the attack on Padmavati to ‘super emergency.’
She tweeted, “The #Padmavati controversy is not only unfortunate but also a calculated plan of a political party to destroy the freedom to express ourselves. We condemn this super emergency. All in the film industry must come together and protest in one voice.”
The #Padmavati controversy is not only unfortunate but also a calculated plan of a political party to destroy the freedom to express ourselves. We condemn this super emergency. All in the film industry must come together and protest in one voice
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) November 20, 2017
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah called the protests ‘culture of intolerance’ while adding that his government firmly stood with Deepika.
His tweet said, “I condemn the culture of intolerance & hate perpetuated by @BJP4India. Karnataka stands with @deepikapadukone .She is a globally renowned artist from our state. I call upon the CM of Haryana @mlkhattar to take strict action against those holding out threats against her.”
I condemn the culture of intolerance & hate perpetuated by @BJP4India .
Karnataka stands with @deepikapadukone .She is a globally renowned artist from our state.
I call upon the CM of Haryana @mlkhattar to take strict action against those holding out threats against her. https://t.co/d8rahml5MZ
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) November 20, 2017
Several right-wing Hindu groups including the ruling BJP have been protesting against the film arguing that the makers of Padmavati had allegedly distorted the historical facts. The BJP’s chief media coordinator in Haryana on Sunday had announced a bounty of Rs 10 crore for anyone who could behead Bhansali and Deepika.
