Deepika Padukone starrer Padmavati banned in Madhya Pradesh; CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan says insult to nation will not be tolerated

BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday said the controversial film ‘Padmavati,’ directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, won’t be allowed to screen in the state.

Addressing a gathering of Rajput community at his residence in Bhopal, Chouhan said, “It is being told that historical facts have been distorted and the exalted persona of Queen Padmavati maligned. The film will not be allowed to screen in Madhya Pradesh.”

Chouhan, terming the alleged distortion of historical facts pertaining to Rani Padmavati as disrespect to the nation, said it will not be tolerated.

Etihaisik tathyon se khilwaad kar agar #Padmavati ji ke samman ke khilaaf film mein drishya dikhaye gaye hain, uss Film ka pradharshan Madhya Pradesh ki dharti par nahi hoga: CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan pic.twitter.com/vaVOxBmrUM

— ANI (@ANI) 20 November 2017

Members of Rajput Karni Sena thanked the CM for what they called was a complete ban on the movie’s screening in the state. “We will felicitate the CM for his bold decision to safeguard our rich heritage and history. We will now protest to ensure governments in other states follow MP’s example too,” said Kiran Suryavanshi Rathore, Karni Sena Bhopal district leader.

Madhya Pradesh is one of the states that have been witnessing widespread protests against the film, which was earlier slated to release on December 1, 2017.

Meanwhile, the opposition Congress termed the announcement as another example of Chouhan’s political gimmicks. “How can he announce a ban on the film, when it is yet to be cleared by the censor board and the makers have involuntarily deferred its release? If the CM was so serious about the film hurting people’s sentiments, why was he silent all these days, even as protests were being witnessed all across the state including in Ratlam bordering Rajasthan?” asked Pankaj Chaturvedi, Congress spokesperson.

A group of more than 50 ruling BJP MLAs had on Friday requested the CM to ban ‘Padmavati’ in the state. On November 6, Chintamani Malviya, the party’s Lok Sabha member from Ujjain, had put up a Facebook post calling for social boycott of the film. In the post, Malviya had written that filmmakers like Sanjay Leela Bhansali who understand “jooton ki bhasha” (language of shoes) cannot understand the greatness of Rani Padmavati’s jauhar, as female members in the family of such filmmakers change their husbands daily.