Karni Sena Protest Against Bhansali’s Padmavati Gains Momentum

Protest by the Karni Sena against Sanjay Leela Bhansali's multi-starrer "Padmavati" picked up pace in Rajasthan ahead of its December 1 release with a complete bandh observed in Chittorgarh on Friday.

"We are not against the movie as such. What we want is that Bhansali's team should screen the movie for historians and intellectuals before releasing it as we are afraid and concerned that historical facts have been distorted in the movie," Vishavbandhu Rathore, Pradesh Mahasachiv Sri Rajput Karni Sena, a Rajput community organisation, told IANS.

"We had called for Chittorgarh bandh today, and we got support from everyone. It was a complete bandh in Chittorgarh today," said Mahipal Singh Makrana, state president of Sri Rajput Karni said.

Rani Padmini or Padmavati was queen of Chittorgarh.

He said before releasing posters and trailer of the film it should have been shown to the historians and intellectuals, but inspite of the promise made by Bhansali's team a few months back nothing was done.

"We are now going to Gujarat to hold a press conference there and also hold a rally in Gandhinagar on November 12 against the movie," he said.

In January, activists of a Rajput organisation, Shi Rajput Karni Sena had protested, manhandled and misbehaved with the crew of "Padmavati" claiming that Bhansali was distorting historical facts in the movie.

They had also damaged some cameras and other equipments. Bhansali had to stop shooting.

"We will not allow distorted facts to be shown in the film at any cost," Makrana said.

Karni Sena claims that they have got a big library and that in no book is it written that Alauddin Khilji fell in love with Padmavati or that he was her lover.

"They are trying to defame Padmavati by distorting historical facts. It is not acceptable," an activist of Karni Sena said.

In March some miscreants broke the mirrors in Padmini Mahal (palace) in Chittorgarh Fort where Alauddin Khilji is believed to have seen Rani Padmavati or Padmini.

Shri Rajput Karni Sena claims that mirror was invented years after this incident is claimed to have happened so it is a completely untrue and false story.