The controversy over the movie Padmaavat, despite the Supreme Court clearing its release, seems to have the tacit support of BJP leaders in Madhya Pradesh who are raking up this issue discreetly as a matter of 'Hindu pride'.
If the statements of BJP leaders are to be believed, the state unit of the party has officially said that it is against the film.
The state BJP president, Nandkumar Singh Chouhan, said, “I appeal to all the people not to watch the movie as it is against the popular sentiments of a particular community.”
Earlier, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan organised a meeting at his official residence where he assured the Rajput community that he would not allow the screening of the film in Madhya Pradesh.
Later, the state government went to the Supreme Court, saying that it is unable to allow the screening of the film as it will create a law and order problem. However, even after the Supreme Court order clearing the film, no cinema hall owner could gather courage to screen the film.
“They are afraid of violence, knowing the attitude of the state government,” said Manoj Sharma, senior journalist.
Padmaavat has failed to find even a single screen in Bhopal as the violent protests against the release of the film spread all across the state. The movie did not get any distributor in the state.
On Wednesday, Rajput outfits vandalised the MP Nagar market area and burnt a vehicle to create terror among the masses and cinema hall owners.
The state reported protests and acts of vandalism from Indore, Ujjain and Jhabua. Interestingly, most of the people at the forefront of protests are BJP workers. Ghanshyam Singh, state president of the Akhil Bhartiya Kshatriya Mahasabha, and a BJP leader issued advertisements in newspapers asking people not to watch the movie. The protesters in Bhopal at MP Nagar even burnt their own car to threaten people on the issue.
The car was owned by a member of the Karni Sena named Surendra Singh Chouhan. Members of the Hindu Jagran Manch were also present at the protest who created a ruckus while warning cinema owners not to screen the film.
Interestingly, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, both BJP-ruled states, filed petitions in the Supreme Court on Tuesday, demanding that the film's screening be stopped on the grounds of law and order. The Supreme Court dismissed their petition.
Meanwhile, the state government is planning to file a review petition before the Supreme Court to review the order given by it to release the film.
