The karni Sena, spearheading the protest against the screening of the film `Padmavat’ has found support from the ideologically opposite quarters, the Samajwadi party often accused of pursuing the politics of Muslim appeasement. The Samajwadi party leader Azam Khan has said the film industry must refrain from making films of subjects which affects harmony and widens the cultural and religious fault lines in the country.
"The film industry should stay away and should not make films on those subjects which leads to social unrest, rioting and pose a serious challenge to the public order and peace’’, said Azam Khan in Rampur on Wednesday.
Referring to the history of the communal riots in the country Azam Khan said ``such film can reignite the fire of communal hatred and ultimately the poor people will have to pay price for the violence’’. He said the BJP maligned the previous Samajwadi party government on the issue of law and order while under the Yogi Adityanath government and law and order machinery seems to have collapsed and the dacoits and criminals are striking at time and place of their choice.
Meanwhile the UP governments spokesman and health minister Siddharth Nath Singh has said that the UP government will ensure safety to theatres running the much-awaited movie `Padmavat’. ``We will ensure safety to the theatres and take stern action against those taking law and order into their hands,” He said the law and order situation in the state has improved
since the Bharatiya Janata Party took power last year. "Now there is no more 'jungle raj' and people feel safe," he said. Sanjay leela Bhansali's "Padmavat", which is facing the ire of the Rajput community, is set to release on Thursday. Rajput leaders claim it distorts history.