Padmavati banned in Rajasthan, CM demands changes in movie

Jaipur: Chief minister Vasundhara Raje said on Monday that the government would not allow controversial Bollywood movie Padmavati to be released in Rajasthan until necessary alterations are made. Raje said that maintaining law and order was a top priority for the government.

Raje urged union minister of information and broadcastiing Smriti Irani to consider suggestions recommended to her by the government in a letter dated November 18. Raje said that until these suggestions are taken into consideration and acted upon, the movie won’t be released in the state.

One of the suggestions included holding a special screening of the movie for historians, Bollywood personalities and a delegation of communities that are raising objection, so that it could be ensured the movie didn’t hurt the sentiments of the Rajput community.

Rajasthan home minister Gulab Chand Kataria also informed the chief minister that distributors in the state had voluntarily refused to release the movie.

The movie was to be released on December 1, but producer Sanjay Leela Bhansali reportedly postponed the release bowing to the mounting pressure and protests against the alleged objectionable portrayal of Queen Padmavati.

People, particularly members of Rajput community, have been protesting against the movie for the past few days, demanding a complete ban. Chittorgarh Fort was kept closed and a mall was ransacked among several other sporadic incidents of violence.

“Law and order is our top most priority and we will ensure that it is not disrupted,” clarified Raje.

The state government is already under pressure after the CBI refused to investigate the alleged police encounter of Anandpal Singh, a gangster. Rajput community had demanded a CBI probe accusing the state police of killing him in a fake encounter.