BJP jumps on to ‘Ban Padmavati’ bandwagon

GANDHINAGAR: Days after Gujarat's old warhorse Shankersinh Vaghela latched on to the controversy surrounding Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film 'Padmavati' to reap political dividends, the ruling BJP too jumped onto the 'Ban Padmavati' bandwagon.

BJP on Wednesday wrote to EC and the chief electoral officer, Gujarat, "to arrange for a pre-release viewing of the film by select Rajput representatives to alleviate their raised tempers and provide fair opportunity to prevent unnecessary tension ahead of polls".

BJP spokesman and Kshatriya leader I K Jadeja said the party would prefer that 'Padmavati' is either banned or its release postponed in poll-bound Gujarat.

"We have received representations from Khastriya community opposing any purported distortion of history and character of Rani Padmavati in the movie. History says that Padmavati never met Alauddin Khilji. Any distortion in the movie which hurts sentiments of Rajput/Kshatriya community should be avoided as Gujarat is going to polls in December," said Jadeja.

The movie is set to be released early in December while Gujarat elections are scheduled on December 9 and 14.