Around 40 activists of the Shri Rajput Karni Sena attacked Jyoti cinema hall in Muzaffarpur town, tore posters of ‘Padmaavat’, shouted slogans against its release and threatened to set ablaze the theatre if the film is screened, according to a police official.
NEW DELHI — “I appeal to social organisations in the entire country: Padmavati nahi chalni chahiye. Film hall par janata curfew laga de (The movie should not run. Public should enforce a curfew at cinema halls)”, Karni Sena leader, Lokendra Singh, declared soon after the Supreme Court ticked off four state governments ruled by the BJP for refusing to screen the film.
Karni Sena, the fringe group that has been at the forefront of protests against Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s film, Padmavaat, has refused to back down even after the Supreme Court told states that they could not ban the movie. Mr Singh, asked social organisations across the country to make sure the movie is not shown in cinema halls.
Meanwhile, a group of Shri Rajput Karni Sena activists on Thursday attacked a cinema hall in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district, tore posters of “Padmaavat” movie and threatened to set ablaze the hall if the film is screened, police said.
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“Around 40 activists of the Shri Rajput Karni Sena attacked Jyoti cinema hall in Muzaffarpur town, tore posters of ‘Padmaavat’, shouted slogans against its release and threatened to set ablaze the theatre if the film is screened,” a district police official said.
The police was, however, yet to act against the Sena activists.
According to the district officials, the police would scan the CCTV footage to take action in this case. “Police have started an investigation into the incident,” said an official.
The National Democratic Alliance government in the state, led by Nitish Kumar, has so far not decided whether the Sanjay Leela Bhansali-helmed film would be released in the state.
After the Central Board of Film Certification cleared the movie with some changes including its name – it was initially called Padmavati – Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh governments – barred cinema halls from screening the 190-crore film before its release.
Rajasthan and Haryana governments said they respected the Supreme Court and would see if there was a legal way out to restrict its screening.
“The Supreme Court has given its verdict without hearing us, But because the Supreme Court is supreme, we will abide by it but also get it examined legally. If there is scope, we shall file an appeal,” Haryana Minister Anij Vij, who had announced the bar on screening the movie on social media, said.
Rajasthan’s Vijaya Raje Scindia government also appears to be working on the same lines. “We will definitely try to see if there is a legal way out… after studying the court order,” Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria said. — Web report