Karni Sena makes U-turn on Padmaavat: ‘Film glorifies Rajputs’

After launching massive protests and issuing death threats against Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s movie Padmaavat, for “distorting history”, the Karni Sena has finally announced that they would be withdrawing their protests.

According to directions by the organisation’s national president Sukhdev Singh Gogamadi, Rajput Karni Sena’s Mumbai leader Yogendra Singh Katar said a few members of the outfit watched the movie on Friday. According to an article in Hindustan Times, the members said the movie glorifies the valour and sacrifice of Rajputs and every Rajput would feel proud after watching it.

The film was released in theatres across India on January 25 amid tight security and protests from various groups, including the Karni Sena. Some cinema hall owners, especially in Gujarat and Haryana, decided not to screen the film in the wake of protests, claimed a report in News 18.

In the past few months, the outfit’s members allegedly indulged in arson in Ahmedabad while an unidentified mob attacked a school bus in Gurugram on January 24. There were protests in other states, including Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra. The Karni Sena had earlier threatened to behead director Bhansali and chop off actor Deepika Padukone’s nose.

According to a report in The Times of India, Katar said in an open letter that there was no such objectionable scene between Alauddin Khilji and Rani Padmini of Mewar which would hurt the sentiments of the Rajputs. He also declared that the Karni Sena would take back its protest and help the administration release the film in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat as well as across all cinema houses in India.

Stand-up comedian Vir Das took to Twitter to say: “The Karni Sena is now supporting the movie. I hope someone makes a movie about your idiocy soon. You gigantic bucket of stupid sauce.”

Ruhi Tewari, associate editor of The Print tweeted: “Finally, someone from Karni Sena actually watched #Padmaavat & felt really foolish about themselves. But not before displaying their barbarism & attacking a school bus with children”.

Columnist Kanchan Gupta tweeted: “So #Padmaavat was the 2018 version of ‘Church Attacks’. It was so obvious yet BJP Governments except #YogiRoxx failed to see through the game and sucked up to #KarniSena Carry on, folks.”