Padmavati row: After Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat bans the film

Padmavati will not be screened in Gujarat. The chief minister of the state, Vijay Rupani, on Wednesday, stated that the home department of the state had decided to ban the film to avoid breakdown of law and order in the state which is headed for an election. 

Gujarat is the second state to ban the film. A few days back, Madhya Pradesh had declared it would not screen the film.

“No Padmavati in Gujarat. The government will not allow its release in the state. We don’t want any controversy and law and order situation in the state,” he said.

“There are elections here and there could be a law and order situation. Many sections are hurt and have opposed it too,” he added. Voting will be held in Gujarat on December 9 and 14.

Earlier a few BJP MLAs from Gujarat had written the election commissioner to defer the release of the film as it would clash with state elections. 

 Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan have also expressed their displeasure over the content of the film. Both states have requested that the film should remove objectionable scenes- which may hurt the sentiments of the people- and only then will they allow the film to be screened in their respective states. 

The film has been riddled by controversy for a long time and the makers have pushed the release of the film to next year. Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmavati was earlier slated for a December 1 release. 

A Lok Sabha panel has asked the CBFC and the information and broadcasting ministry to submit a report on the film which stars  Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor, by November 30.