The BJP has approached the Election Commission seeking its intervention to stop the release of Bollywood film "Padmavati" without a pre-release screening by the Kshatriya community, saying "distortion of facts" in the movie will hurt their sentiments.
Earlier, Shankersinh Vaghela, an influential Kshatriya leader and former chief minister of the state, had made an identical demanded, and warned that if it was released without the community's approval, there could be violence.
Gujarat BJP spokesperson I K Jadeja said the party had received several representations from the Kshatriya community about "distortion of historical facts" in the film.
"The Election Commission should arrange for pre-release screening of the movie for select Kshatriya representatives to provide them a fair opportunity to prevent unnecessary tension ahead of Gujarat polls," Jadeja told reporters, adding a representation has been made to the poll panel to not allow the release of the film before that.
"The BJP also condemns the heinous attempt to link queen Padmavati of the Rajput (Kshatriya) community -- the contribution of which in the history of this country has been immense -- with Alauddin Khilji in the film," he said.
Padmavati and Khilji had never met in real life, the BJP leader said.
He said, in a representation to the Election Commission, the party has opposed its release as it will hurt the sentiments of the community members.
Polling will be held in Gujarat in two phases on December 9 and 14, while the film, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and starring Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh, is slated to release on December 1.
The opposition Congress said the ruling party was doing politics and trying to turn the film into a poll issue.
"Now that the elections are round the corner, you are writing to the EC asking it not to allow release of the movie. This is an attempt by the BJP to make it a poll issue," Congress spokesperson Shaktisinh Gohil said.
Rajasthan-based Rajput community group Karni Sena had opposed the film, alleging distortion of history, and vandalised its sets. Bhansali was attacked by the members of the outfit while shooting in Rajasthan.
PTI