While Swamy said such movies had "zero historical value", Singh defended the protesting miscreants saying no one was allowed to misrepresent and distort history in the name of freedom of expression.
While fringe groups continue their rampage against Padmaavat, senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy and Union Minister VK Singh defended the troublemakers on Thursday even as others pointed to a "hidden" Congress hand behind stoking the controversy.
While Swamy said such movies had "zero historical value", Singh defended the protesting miscreants saying no one was allowed to misrepresent and distort history in the name of freedom of expression.
"It opens old wounds, and that is why such films should not be made. What is the historical value of it? Zero," Swamy said. "They say it has nothing to do with history, then why are you making it?" he added.
Further, Swamy questioned Congress president Rahul Gandhi's silence over the issue. "Also, why is Rahul Gandhi not taking a stand on it?" he asked.
RSS thinker Rakesh Sinha too targeted Gandhi. "@OfficeOfRG the nation wants to know your views on #Padmavat . Your silence says so many things," he tweeted.
He said that he defended people protesting against Padmaavat. "Whenever we say something about history we must cross-check it. Freedom of expression doesn't give us any right to tamper with history. We should pacify and resolve the situation by talking to the people, who are protesting against the film. They should be asked about their concerns and objections in the film. Whenever there are clashes of interest, things will certainly be messed up," Singh said.
Meanwhile, some senior BJP leaders saw an "invisible Congress hand" behind the Rajput protests, saying it was yet another attempt to destabilise the Modi government and the BJP. The immediate context for fomenting social trouble around the movie, they argued, was provided by the impending Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan where the community has sizeable presence.
"While in 1988, in an episode of 'Bharat Ek Khoj' or the Hindi adaptation of Nehru's 'Discovery of India', the same story of Padmavati with the 'ghumar' dance had run to the delight of viewers, then who is instigating the protests now?" asked a senior BJP leader, hinting at a possible Congress hand behind the Rajput unrest. "The impending elections in MP and Rajasthan have provided the context for fomenting trouble, just as they tried to fire up caste violence after Bhima-Koregaon, but their mascot Jignesh Mevani failed miserably to rally Dalits."
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