Delhi HC dismisses plea on Padmavati ban

The Delhi High Court has dismissed a petition on Friday which sought setting up of a committee to check the distortion of history as portrayed in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmavati. The court added that such pleas are encouraging the agitators.

A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar termed the plea filed by Akhand Rashtrawadi Party as 'hopeless and misconceived'.

The court, while dismissing the petition, asked the counsel for the petitioners, "Have you seen the film? Have the people, who are burning cinema halls seen the film? By this kind of petitions you are encouraging the people who are agitating."

It directed the Akhand Rashtrawadi Party, to approach the Censor Board, as the court was not inclined to entertain its plea.

In its plea, the petitioner — who claim to be a political party with one Lal Ji as its President — had stated that a committee should be constituted to check the alleged distortion of facts in the movie.

The court said that similar petitions have been denied by the apex court. The matter is also in consideration before the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), and it should be given the opportunity to carry out its job.

The plea filed by advocate RN Singh had contended that the petitioner had come to know that the movie portrayed an imaginary or fictitious character of Rani Padmavati and there is distortion of historic facts about Rani Padmavati of Chitorgarh.

"No individual or group has any right to play with the sentiments or emotions of any caste or community by distorting Indian history or historic icon. Likewise, the movie makers should follow the same and shall present the image of a historic icon or a ideal personality in its true form, instead of imagination," the plea said.