Padmavati row: Why so quiet? Shatrughan asks Modi, Irani and Bollywood

New Delhi: Amid raging controversy over the Bollywood film Padmavati, it was the turn of actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha who, on Wednesday, questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi and information and broadcasting minister Smriti Irani over their silence on the issue.

In the wake of growing controversy and protests by Rajput organisations and other groups for allegedly “distorting” history and hurting the sentiments of the people, the film has been deferred indefinitely.

Tweeting on the Padmavati controversy, BJP’s Patna Sahib MP Sharughan Sinha wrote: How come our I and B minister or our most popular Hon’ble PM (according to PEW) are maintaining stoic silence. High time! referring to a recent survey by the Pew Research Center, an American think tank. The veteran actor also asked why actors Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan were quiet on the row.

“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,” Mr Sinha tweeted.

Discussing his own views on the film, Mr Sinha said he “would and should” speak only after the “great filmmaker, producer S.L. Bhansali”.

“I speak only when I am spoken to and I will speak keeping in mind the interests of the filmmaker as well as the sensitivity, valour, loyalty of the great Rajputs,” Mr Sinha said.

Also, the chief minister of poll going state of Gujarat, Vijay Rupani joined the chorus against the film’s release when he tweeted that “we believe in freedom of speech and expression but any foul play with our great culture is not tolerated.”

Haryana’s CM Manohar Lal Khattar had also said that the state government will arrive at a decision on director Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s film only after censor board clears it.  Meanwhile, Lok Sabha’s Committee on Petitions has sought a report on the film from the I&B ministry and the censor board after two BJP MPs from Rajasthan—C.P. Joshi and Om Birla, filed a plea regarding objectionable content in the movie.

Reiterating its stand against the film, Rajput Karni Sena said it is not against the film but against the distortion of the history. Karni Sena’s Lokendra Singh Kalvi said “freedom of expression” in terms of art cannot be tolerated when the feelings of millions of people hang in jeopardy.

“We Rajputs are proud of our heritage and will not tolerate any conspiracy that threatens to shake our self-respect, pride and honour. It’s unfortunate to see that our history is being misrepresented on-screen by a director in the name of art and freedom of speech. All we want is rectification of facts and editing of objectionable scenes in the film before it is released for audience,” said Mr Kalvi while addressing the media on the issue.