The controversies surrounding Prakash Jha's latest release Aarakshan seem to be never ending, with the UP government now deciding to ban screening of the film. A decision to ban the film which is due to hit the screens on Friday was taken following a recommendation by a high level official committee set up by the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) government.

The committee comprising principal secretaries of finance, information, higher education and rural development departments and an official of entertainment tax commttee had watched the Amitabh Bachchan-Saif Ali Khan starrer film and submitted their report to the state government this evening.

Hours before the UP government imposed the ban, the National Commission for Scheduled Castes asked the Censor Board to make necessary changes in the film before its release, objecting to the "derogatory way" the backward community has been featured in it.

The move by the Commission came after its members watched a special screening in Delhi.

"The main theme of the movie is about commercialisation of education followed by several objectionable dialogues against people from backward communities. There is no discussion on reservation in its second half. We have asked the Censor Board to make necessary changes in it," NCSC Chairman P L Punia told PTI in Delhi.

Senior Maharashtra minister and OBC leader Chaggan Bhujbal also voiced objections to certain scenes and dialogues in the film.

"Some scenes and dialogues in the film are objectionable and the film can be released after deleting them," Bhujbal said after a special screening of the film was arranged by Jha in Mumbai.