MP too joins Jodhaa Akbar ban wagon

The Madhya Pradesh government has banned screening of Jodhaa-Akbar in the state with immediate effect, fearing disturbances.

The state cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan took the decision on Friday, taking note of the protests by Rajputs over the film that could lead to law and order problems.

The film's release last Friday was marked by widespread protests by the community in Gwalior, Indore, Jabalpur, Bhopal and some smaller towns.

In Gwalior, its screening was suspended on the first day after a mob ransacked the cinema hall.

The Rajput outfits alleged the film has distorted historical facts to malign the community.

Off theatres in Ambala

The town of Ambala has also banned the Hrithik Roshan-Aishwarya starrer, stopping the movie from being screened in two cinema halls of the district, following protests by Rajputs.

The protesters had alleged that the cinema halls had removed the posters of the film but were still screening it.

In Bihar's Gopalganj, the Shyam Chitramandir theatre stopped the film's screening after two days of protest by various saffron groups.

Scores of activists of the BJP and its student wing, the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad, took out a procession on Tuesday, tore posters and threatened further violence if the screening was not stopped.

In Ranchi, a group under the banner of All India Rajput Manch tore down posters and burnt them near a cinema hall.