Will protest, commit jauhar to prevent Padmaavat release: Rajput groups in MP

Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said his government will seek legal opinion on the Supreme Court order rescinding the ban before taking appropriate action.

Updated on: Jan 19, 2018, 21:30:39 IST

Hindustan Times, Bhopal | By Neeraj Santoshi

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Activists of fringe groups have threatened to prevent movie theatres in Madhya Pradesh from screening Padmaavat, a controversial film on the legendary Rajput queen, despite the Supreme Court striking down a state-imposed ban.

Members of the Rajput community protest against the release of the upcoming Bollywood movie 'Padmavat' in Mumbai recently. (Reuters photo)

The Rajput Karni Sena and Maharana Sena have decided to intensify protests against the movie in the coming days. Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat will release on January 25.

Maharana Sena leader Rajendra Singh Rana claimed that many Rajput women were willing to commit ‘jauhar’ – a Hindu custom of mass self-immolation – at Chittorgarh fort in Rajasthan to protest against the movie. “The film has hurt the Rajput community’s sentiments by distorting history,” he said. Activists of the fringe group then submitted a memorandum demanding re-imposition of the ban to district authorities.

The Supreme Court struck down the ban imposed by four states – Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Haryana – on Thursday, leading to a fresh spate of protests.

Rajput Karni Sena state president Jeevan Singh Rathore said his organisation would hold statewide protests against the movie. “We are not happy with the Supreme Court order. It is our right to protest against a movie that has hurt our sentiments by distorting history,” he added.

Rathore also echoed the contention about Rajput women planning to committing ‘jauhar’ at Chittorgarh fort. “Their number will only increase in the coming days, and it will become difficult for the authorities to check the tsunami of protest,” he said.

Meanwhile, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said his government will seek legal opinion on the Supreme Court order before taking appropriate action. The document is currently being studied by the advocate general.

Rajput Karni Sena activists allegedly vandalised the St Paul’s School in Ratlam district while elementary students were dancing to ‘Ghoomar’, a song from Padmaavat, on Monday. Following this, state home minister Bhupendra Singh reportedly said the song should be not be played anywhere in the state.

He retracted the statement after being criticised by opposition parties as well as social media users.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neeraj Santoshi
Neeraj Santoshi is the Chief of Bureau for Hindustan Times in Uttarakhand, where he leads the state reporting team while covering government, politics, environment, wildlife, Uttarakhand High Court, and issues shaping the Himalayan region. With more than two decades in journalism across conflict zones, he has covered politically sensitive regions and environmentally fragile landscapes, and focused on stories that combine public interest with in-depth storytelling. An alumnus of Pune University with a Master’s in Communication Studies, he has reported extensively from Jammu & Kashmir (2003-2010), Madhya Pradesh (2010 to 2018 ) and Uttarakhand (Since 2018), covering subjects ranging from insurgency, elections and governance to wildlife conservation, mining, climate change, agriculture, human rights and social justice. He has covered politics and legislative assemblies of both Jammu & Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh over more than a decade. Before taking over as Chief of Bureau in Uttarakhand, he served as Special Correspondent with Hindustan Times in Madhya Pradesh and earlier reported for both Hindustan Times and The Indian Express in Jammu & Kashmir, where he covered state politics, environment and insurgency-related developments. Over the years, his stories have focused on environmental degradation, wildlife, illegal mining, governance and the changing social fabric of Himalayan states and Central India. He is particularly interested in long-form explanatory journalism, and stories that explore the intersection of ecology, conservation, governance and society. Outside the newsroom, Neeraj enjoys reading widely on neuroscience, consciousness studies, Artificial Intelligence and quantum physics, with a special interest in Kashmiri Tantric Shaivist traditions. He is also passionate about wildlife, mountaineering and the Himalayas, interests that continue to inform his reporting and deepen his understanding of the region he covers.Read More

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