The PK controversy took a new turn after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav announced exemption of entertainment tax on the film and described it as a “must watch”. While in Maharashtra, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis ruled out any probe into the Aamir Khan-starrer film and promised adequate protection for its smooth screening in his State.
As protests by Bajrang Dal and VHP over screening of PK continued, the two Chief Ministers — having polar opposite ideologies — threw their weight behind the movie, which has whipped up a controversy for allegedly “hurting religious sentiments”.
On Wednesday, Bajrang Dal activists protested outside PVR cinema in Vasant Vihar and Gagan Cinema in Nand Nagri hall in Delhi, demanding a ban on PK. They burnt an effigy of Aamir Khan. Similar protests were witnessed in Jaipur, where the protesters demanded a ban on the film.
In lucknow, a senior officer said: “Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has watched the movie and has directed that such films should be exempted from the entertainment tax.” The State too saw protests in Bareilly forcing the cancellation of the show.
Praising PK, Akhilesh said: “It has a message and this should reach everybody. Everyone should watch it. Then one can understand why I took a decision to make it tax-free,” he said. Tax exemption will cut its ticket prices and boost film’s business.
leela Samson, chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification, has already made it clear that the Board will not remove any scenes from the film. Aamir has also trashed accusation of having “insulted” the Hindu religion, because he is a Muslim, saying, “We respect all religions. All my Hindu friends have seen the film and they have not felt the same.”
Maharashtra CM Fadnavis said there would be no enquiry and shows of PK will continue all over the State under the protection of the State Government. His reaction was based on reports from his Minister of State for Home Ram Shinde, who had directed IG (law & Order) Deven Bharti to look into objectionable scenes, if any, in the film and promised “necessary” action if any “wrong” was found.
“The Censor Board may have found the film fit to be released and hence they cleared it from their end. But after the release some organisations have objected to some parts of the film,” Shinde had said, adding the Government will “step in” if the issue snowballed into a major law and order problem.
But overruling him, Fadvanis made it very clear that the show will go on. “Shows of PK won’t be stopped. PK will continue to be screened in Maharashtra,” Fadnavis said following reports that some theatres had cancelled the shows under threat from right-wing groups.
