Padmavati: Rupani no to film in poll bound Gujarat; Khattar to

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said today that film 'Padmavati' was "hurting sentiments" and would not be screened in the poll bound state till issues were resolved even as a parliamentary panel sought a report from the I&B ministry and CBFC on the matter.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said that a call on allowing the Sanjay Leela Bhansali directed period drama in his state would be taken after the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) decides on it.
The row over the Bollywood flick, meanwhile, continued to simmer with the Shri Rajput Karni Sena demanding that its reels be "consigned to the flames of Jauhar".

BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha also waded in questioning what he called the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani and leading Bollywood stars.
In Gujarat, Chief Minister Rupani joined counterparts from BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan in expressing reservations about the film.
The Government of Gujarat will not allow Bollywood movie 'Padmavati' to be released in the state as it is hurting sentiments of Rajputs, he announced.

"We can't allow our history to be distorted. We believe in freedom of speech and expression but any foul play with our great culture is not tolerated," the Chief Minister said.

He referred to the upcoming state polls and said the government had taken the decision in the interest of law and order as it did not want any row.
"There are issues with the film, our sympathy is with those who are protesting against the film and that is the reason we will not allow its release in the state till those issues are resolved," Rupani said in Ahmedabad.
In Chandigarh, Haryana Chief Minister Khattar, however, chose to wait for the censor board's decision in the matter.
"The government will take a call upon the screening of Padmavati after the decision by CBFC," Khattar said adding that nobody would be allowed to hurt sentiments.

Khattar distanced himself from the Haryana BJP chief media coordinator Surajpal Singh Amu's remarks about offering a bounty of Rs ten crore to anyone beheading Bhansali or lead actress Deepika Padukone.
"The BJP has also issued a show cause notice to Amu," he said while also pointing to an FIR against the state leader.
The controversy over the medieval drama also reached the portals of Parliament as a house panel sought a report on the film from the I&B ministry and the censor board.
The matter was taken up for consideration by the Lok Sabha Committee on Petitions after two BJP MPs from Rajasthan, CP Joshi and Om Birla, filed a plea regarding objectionable content in the movie.

Joshi told PTI that the movie should be shown to historians and the descendants of the erstwhile royal families, who trace their lineage to Padmavati, before release.
"The panel has referred the matter to the I&B Ministry and the censor board. It has asked them to submit a report before November 30," BJP leader Bhagat Singh Koshyari, who heads the panel, said.
Meanwhile, BJP MP and actor Shatrughan Sinha, who has often taken a stand contrary to that of his party, questioned the "silence" of the prime minister and the I&B minister.
"How come our I&B Minister or our most popular Hon'ble PM (according to PEW) are maintaining stoic silence. High time!" he said on Twitter.

The Patna Sahib MP did not spare Bollywood top guns either. "As 'Padmavati' becomes a burning controversy, people are asking why the legendary Amitabh Bachchan, most versatile Aamir Khan and most popular Shah Rukh Khan have no comments," Sinha tweeted.
Meanwhile, the Karni Sena, which is leading the protests against the film, continued its offensive.
"Its reel should be consigned to the flames of 'Jauhar'," Lokendra Singh Kalvi, chief of the outfit, told reporters in New Delhi.
He lashed at Padukone for her remarks that no force could stop the film's release. "Who is Deepika Padukone? Is she the president or the prime minister? This film will not be released at any cost," he said.

Asked on what basis was he claiming that the film distorted history, Kalvi said it was his "assumption" based on an alleged statement of Ranveer Singh, who plays Alauddin Khilji in the movie.
Director Bhansali recently clarified that rumours about a romantic dream sequence between Rani Padmavati and Khilji's characters were not true as he was careful in depicting "Rajput honour and dignity".
Kalvi also alleged to have received "life threats" from unknown numbers, one of which "was traced back to Karachi".
Many groups have been protesting against the movie alleging distorting of history. Historians are, however, divided on whether Rani Padmavati even existed.