Mumbai: Nitesh Rane, Congress Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Sindhudurg, has criticised his members of his party for not allowing director Madhur Bhandarkar to promote his upcoming controversial film on the Emergency, Indu Sarkar.
“Which Congress leader would support such protests? This must be stopped. Congress should not approve of this culture,” said Mr Rane. Congress workers had forced Mr Bhandarkar to cancel promotional events for the film in Pune and Nagpur earlier this month, which has raised questions over doublespeak by Congress over freedom of expression. Mr Rane, son of former minister and Congress leader Narayan Rane, expressed his opinion on these incidents on Monday in Mumbai.
Asked about ongoing agitation of Congress workers against Indu Sarkar, he surprised all by going against the party line. “This is not Congress culture. Why were they forced to cancel press conferences? Is it the party’s culture?” asked Mr Rane.
Mr Rane added that when his father speaks something that is not the party line, Congress leaders criticise him publicly. “But now nobody is talking against party workers who are agitating against Mr Bhandarkar. Has any senior leader taken cognisance of it,” asked Mr Rane.
Indu Sarkar is a film based on the Emergency, which was imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1975. Congress workers had asked Mr Bhandarkar to show them film first before release so that any controversial mention of Mrs Gandhi could be avoided. However, the filmmaker refused to do so, which sparked off the protests. Mr Bhandarkar too has raised questions on Congress workers’ behaviour.
