Coming out strongly against the piracy of any artistic work including feature films like Udta Punjab, the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal on Friday sought probe into leak of uncensored copy on the controversial movie.
“We support the demand for an inquiry into the piracy of film ‘Udta Punjab’ and we consider it an abominable and shameful act. We fully stand by film industry whose tireless creativity and financial resources are sought to be laid waste by unethical acts like piracy,” said party's spokesperson and general secretary Harcharan Bains.
Bains said that release of uncensored ‘Udta Punjab’ needs to be seen in the background of claims by a political leader of the state that he would show the entire film in an uncensored form in villages of Punjab including Majitha.
“Capt Amarinder Singh needs to come clean on the piracy of Udta Punjab. He, his Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are the only ones who have been talking of showing this film uncensored to the people. They owe an explanation to film makers and viewers alike,” said Bains.
Bains said that the possibility of the film being pirated for political reasons by some unprincipled and unscrupulous political parties who want to grab power through hook or crook needs to be looked into. “These parties are waging a war against Punjab's image while SAD and Punjab government are waging a war on drugs,” he added.
Raising SAD’s and Punjab government’s voice against any act of piracy of artistic or intellectual work, Bains said: “Reprehensible as all such acts are, this case appeared to be a class apart and seemed to be the part of conspiracy hatched by some unethical political parties whose interests in defaming Punjab are well known.”
“There appears to be more than commercial mischief behind this act of piracy against ‘Udta Punjab’. It is the more serious as someone seems to have purposely leaked the version with a clearly ulterior political motive,” he added.