Padmavati row: Karni Sena calls for Bharat Bandh if the movie releases; UP govt wants release postponed

Fifteen days before its release, things are not going very well for Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmavati. A couple of days ago Deepika Padukone told news agency ANI, "Where have we reached as a nation? We have regressed. The only people we are answerable to is the censor board, and I know and I believe that nothing can stop the release of this film." After that the 31-year old actress was subjected to vitriolic comments and tweets, followed by Karni Sena demanding Bharat bandh if Padmavati is released. UP CM Yogi Adityanath also wrote to the IB ministry asking them to stop the release of the movie on December 1.
 
Sri Rajput Karni Sena chief Lokendra Singh Kalvi said to a TV channel, "The country is not regressing, you are making it so. I beg Deepika not to insult women... Deepika is seen dancing with fewer clothes in the film. How are you trying to portray the Indian women?". He then added that Deepika is "like a daughter" and that she should exercise restraint.
 
The group called for a nationwide bandh on December 1 if Padmavati is released. "We are not talking of a Rajasthan bandh, but a Bharat bandh on December 1," Kalvi said.  According to multiple reports, he further added, "Ahinsa bahut zaruri hai, hinsa toh majboori hai. Jauhar ki jwala hai, bahut kucch jalega. Rok sako toh is Padmavati ko rok lo." (Non-violence is very important, but violence is the last resort. These are the flames of jauhar, a lot will burn. If you can, then stop this Padmavati)

Two days ago the group had even vandalised a cinema hall in Kota for showing the trailer of Padmavati.
 
The Rajasthan Women's Commission had also written to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) urging them to see that the honour of women is not adversely affected in Padmavati.

In UP, the Yogi government has written to the Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry that the public in the state is angry over the release of Padmavati and that it should not be released on December 1. They feel that it could lead to a law and order situation and affect the UP civic polls. The polls will be underway on November 22, 26 and 29 and the counting is scheduled to take place on December 1. "In this environment if the movie is released, it could lead to widespread violence and law and order disturbances in the state of UP. It would not be in the interest of law and order to release the movie on December 1," the government said as mentioned in The Economic Times.

In Maharashtra, however, the MNS came out in support of Padmavati and said that it is unacceptable to protest the release of the movie before watching it. "It does not make sense to protest without watching what the film contains. We will watch it and if there is anything unacceptable we will discuss it with the director to find a solution," Ameya Khopkar, MNS Chitrapat Karmachari Sena president, said, according to a report in The Indian Express.

Actor Farhan Akhtar also came out in support of the movie and said that we must stop treating our audience as children. Actress Richa Chadha spoke about the Padmavati row at the trailer launch of her upcoming movie Fukrey. According to a report in The Indian Express she said, "With all due respect, I am also a Hindu and I don't believe that faith is so weak that it will break with a film. I feel that the best thing about our country is that we are a democracy."