After Punjab Congress sought ban on the controversial movie “glorifying assassins” of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, the State unit of BJP on Tuesday also joined the voices opposing the screening of Kaum De Heere.
Party’s former national vice-president and former State Cabinet Minister laxmi Kanta Chawla has taken a stand against screening of the movie maintaining that it may “disturb peace and harmony not only in Punjab but also in whole of north India”.
The firebrand BJP leader not only sought ban on such movies that result in inciting communal feelings, but, at the same time, expressed surprise over Censor Board’s approval to the same. “Such movies should not be allowed to be shot in the first place…I don’t know how the Censor Board approved it,” said Chawla.
She added, “Indira Gandhi was our Prime Minister...glorifying her assassins will disturb peace and harmony not only in Punjab but also in whole of north India. Such movies should be banned.”
Punjab Youth Congress (PYC) has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking banning of the movie. PYC president Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary had stated that it was unfortunate that the movie was being allowed to be screened in Punjab and other parts of the country.
Congress is up in the arms against the film based on Indira Gandhi’s assassins — Satwant Singh and Beant Singh — who were her bodyguards and shot the then Prime Minister on October 31, 1984.
Previous year, the two bodyguards were honoured as “martyrs” at a function by the Akali Dal-ld Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee. After months of stalling due to objections by the Censor Board, the movie is now scheduled for release on the coming Friday — August 22.
The movie has security agencies worried as the portrayal of Indira Gandhi’s assassins as heroes and its justification may spark protests. The Intelligence Bureau has warned the Union Home Ministry about possible tensions between Hindu and Sikh communities .
Though Badal put the onus on the Censor Board which he said clears the movies, after deletion of objectionable scenes, if any, the SAD-BJP Government had in the recent past banned a Punjabi movie Sadda Haq and Hindi movie Aarakshan.