Raising its pitch against the scheduled release of Sanjay leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat on January 25, fringe group Shri Rajput Karni Sena on Friday threatened censor board chief Prasoon Joshi and noted lawyer Harish Salve and claimed that Rajput women will commit jauhar (self immolation) if the movie is not banned.
Karni Sena has said it will not allow Joshi to enter Rajasthan to attend the Jaipur lit fest, where the censor chief is scheduled to participate in a session “Main aur Woh: Conversations with Myself” on January 28. Karni Sena is furious with Joshi for giving censor clearance to the film after “minor” modification. The Jaipur lit Fest begins on January 25, coinciding with
the release of Bhansali’s magnum opus.
“We won’t allow Prasoon Joshi to enter Rajasthan. The moment he steps into the airport, we will follow him and we will protest,” said Sukhdev Singh, a member of the Karni Sena.
The Karni Sena also targeted senior lawyer Harish Salve, who represented the producers of Padmaavat in the Supreme Court, which stayed the ban imposed by BJP-controlled Gujarat, Rajasthan Haryana, Madhya Pradesh on the release of the movie. According to reports, Salve has been warned of dire
consequences for opposing the ban.
“Karni Sena called my office to threaten. They dared my office to complain,” Salve said.
The Karni Sena also threatened that hundreds of women in Rajasthan will commit jauhar to protest against the release of the movie.
“Rajput women will commit jauhar on January 24 at Chittorgarh. Total 1,826 women have registered for it,” said Sena president Mahipal Makrana.
Sarv Samaj Samiti of Chittorgarh and Karni Sena are organsing the proposed mass jauhar.
“The women will take out a ‘Swabhimaan Rally’ on the 21 January, Markana said, adding, “the Government will be responsible if the women have to commit the act of jauhar.”
The Karni Sena has appealed to people to lay curfews at theatres across the country to stop the screening of Padmaavat. Talking to reporters in Mumbai, Karni Sena chief lokendra Kalvi claimed he was willing to court arrest and ready to even being shot to prevent the release of the film.
“Sanjay leela Bhansali makes films that divide communities. He profits from our emotions and anger,” he claimed.
The film, initially titled Padmavati, was slated to release on December 1 last year but was put off due to protests and threats of violence against Bhansali and the cast, headlined by Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapur and Ranveer Singh. It was granted certification and cleared for release by the Central Board of Film Certification on January 25.
“25 January will come and go but the film will not release,” he declared.
Asked whether his appeal to people to lay siege to theatres would lead to violence, Kalvi added, “How many people will you kill to ensure that the film is screenedIJ But the film needs to be killed. That will only happen if the owners of cinema halls co-operate,” he claimed.
The Karni Sena vandalised a theatre in Bihar and blocked a road in Rajasthan, not long after the Supreme Court on Thursday said “Padmaavat” cannot be banned by States on grounds of potential law and order problems.
Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh had refused to show the film despite the clearance of the Prasoon Joshi-headed Central Board of Film Certification earlier this month.
Groups like the Karni Sena allege that the film distorts the story of Chittor Queen Padmini and shows Rajputs in poor light.
The protesters had threatened to destroy theatres that screened the film.
Their threats remain unchanged by the Supreme Court ruling.
Rajasthan Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria said the State respects the Supreme Court’s decision but didn’t rule out an appeal. “The court decision will be examined by our law department, further steps will be taken after that,” he told reporters.
On the threats to Prasoon Joshi, the Minister said: “We will act appropriately...whatever action is needed will be taken; our department is alert and will act.”
last week, the Mumbai police arrested 132 members of the Rajput Karni Sena for protesting outside the censor board office in the city.