Nitish says no Padmavati release in Bihar even as Supreme Court raps ministers for commenting on film

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has said that Padmavati will not be released in his state till the film team offers a clarification.

IndiaToday.in  | Written by Ananya Bhattacharya
New Delhi, November 28, 2017 | UPDATED 13:49 IST

On the day that the Supreme Court pulled up the Centre for comments by people in 'responsible positions holding public offices' on Padmavati, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has now joined the 'ban Padmavati' chorus.

Kumar said that Padmavati will not be released in Bihar till the producers and director of the film give adequate clarification on it.

Nitish Kumar's statement comes after his counterparts in Madhya Pradesh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan; and in Gujarat, Vijay Rupani, have already announced a ban on the film.

STATES ON THE PADMAVATI ROW

The Gujarat government has said that Padmavati will not be screened in the state till the Assembly elections. Gujarat goes to poll on December 9 and 14, and the counting is to take place on December 18.

In a press conference on November 22, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said that apart from the Kshatriya Samaaj, other communities also expressed apprehension about the release of the film.

"Till the issues are resolved, Padmavati will not be screened in Gujarat," said Rupani.

"Such issues spoil the environment. The threat of violence can spoil the environment during elections. Keeping law and order issues in mind, Padmavati will not be released in Gujarat. The Home department has initiated the process to look into the matter," said Rupani.

He also tweeted, "The Government of Gujarat will not allow #Padmavati - a movie hurting sentiments of Rajputs - to get released in the State. We can't allow our history to be distorted. We believe in freedom of speech & expression but any foul play with our great culture is not tolerated. (sic)"

Sanjay Leela Bhansali's controversial period drama, Padmavati, has been in dire straits for a while now. Several right-wing groups have been vehemently opposing the film on the grounds that it supposedly degrades the honour of the Rajput queen, Rani Padmini.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said that he would take a decision on whether Padmavati will be released in the state only after the film is cleared by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

"We will not allow anyone's sentiments to be hurt. We don't think it is right to ban (a film) before censor board's decision," he told ANI.

Incidentally, the CBFC delayed the certification of Padmavati after the makers failed to submit all the documents required. The release of the film has now been pushed indefinitely.

"This might be his personal opinion; the government has nothing to do with it. We have issued him a show cause notice," Manohar Lal Khattar said, when prodded about Haryana BJP's (Bharatiya Janta Party) chief media coordinator Suraj Pal Singh Amu, who was booked by the Gurgaon Police on Tuesday.

Suraj Pal Amu was vocal in his support of the bounty of Rs 5 crore announced by the Meerut Kshatriya Samaj on the heads of Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Deepika Padukone. When a complaint was lodged against him, he declared that his voice will not be subdued and threatened to "set fire to each screen in the country".

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh maintained a somewhat neutral stand on Padmavati. While he was strictly opposed to violence and threats issued by some agitated protesters, he told IANS that anyone whose sentiments were hurt by the distortion of historical facts had the right to protest. He emphasised that protests and threats were not the same thing.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan voiced his support for the protestors and said that Padmavati will not be allowed to release in the state even if it is cleared by the censor board. 

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that if action is being taken against the people issuing threats against Sanjay Leela Bhansali, action should be taken against the director as well for hurting sentiments.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, however, took the opposite route and said that she condemned this 'attack on freedom' and that it was 'super emergency'.

Padmavati stars Deepika Padukone in the titular role, Shahid Kapoor as her husband, Maharawal Ratan Singh, and Ranveer Singh as Alauddin Khilji.

ALSO WATCH | Padmavati row: Yogi Adityanath justifies threats against Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Deepika Padukone