Now Karnataka Rajputs' demand Padmavati ban

BENGALURU: As the release date draws near, demands by various organizations for the ban on the screening of the Sanjay Leela Bhansali epic period drama movie Padmavati seems to be picking up steam. Joining the ‘Ban Padmavati’ league was the Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena Karnataka, which led a 1,000 to 1,500 people strong protest march from Bengaluru’s Town Hall to its recently converted Freedom Park. The park once housed Bengaluru’s Central Jail. A part of Freedom Park has been allotted for protests. A number of organizations and people from different Hindu organizations took part in the protest. Basically the protestors are against the skimpily clad depiction of the portrayal of the queen dancing. Speeches were made by various people against the screening of the film. After the event, many of the speakers gave sound bites to various the media persons that were present at the venue. Sadhvi Deva Thakur, director of the Deva Foundation from Karnal Harayana questioned the portrayal of Indian women including queens and princesses dancing. Women from Indian society were not as depicted by a half clad Dipika Padukone. “Don’t take our slogans lightly. We will burn screens of any cinema hall that films the movie,” warned Sadhvi. Earlier, according to a report in the Times of India (TOI), members of Rajput Karni Sena on Tuesday vandalised a theatre in Kota in Rajasthan after rumours of the trailer of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's upcoming film being shown surfaced. TOI has also reported that some Muslim organisations in Rajasthan have extended support to the Rajput groups which are demanding a ban on the film. NDTV.com had reported on November 12 that members of the Rajput community held massive protests in Gandhinagar and Surat in Gujarat demanding a ban on the release of the Bollywood film. The NDTV.com report said that the protestors allege that the makers had distorted historical facts in the film. While over one lakh members of the community converged at a massive gathering at Gandhinagar, thousands took part in the protest march in Surat to raise their demand of staying the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali-directed movie, according to NDTV.com. A Hindustan Times reports from New Delhi on 13 November said that after Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, the protests against Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmavati have now started in Jharkhand as well. Members of the Rajput community and many political groups on Sundaydemanded that the Deepika Padukone and Shahid Kapoor-starrer should be banned and vandalised posters and banners of the film in the state capital, Ranchi.