Pathaan: VHP, Bajrang Dal withdraw protest against Shah Rukh Khan's film

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad has announced that it will not oppose the release of Shah Rukh Khan starrer Pathaan in Gujarat. VHP state secretary Ashok Raval made this announcement through a video message to its workers. Raval said there were 40 scenes in the movie which hurt the sentiments of the Hindus and the VHP and the Bajrang Dal had raised objections and decided to oppose it.

After the VHP raised the issue, the Censor Board asked the movie's producers to remove those scenes. The demand was met by the director/producer of the movie and as the Hindu community's demands have been met, the organisation has decided that neither the VHP nor the Bajrang Dal activists will stage a protest against the movie.

While speaking to ANI, VHP spokesperson Shriraj B Nair said, "for the time being, we will not oppose the film as it would not be right to protest without seeing the movie." He stated that appropriate changes were made to the movie after the objections were raised by VHP."

As far as our earlier objections are concerned, we objected to the misuse of the saffron colour and the use of words like shameless colour. Keeping our objection in mind, the changes made in the film are correct. If after watching the movie we feel that there is something wrong, then we will reconsider," Nair added. Notably, Pathaan landed in a controversy after its song Besharam Rang was released.

On January 5, members of Bajrang Dal created a ruckus at Alpha One Mall in Ahmedabad's Vastrapur during the promotion of the film. The Bajrang Dal members during their protest tore down pictures of Shah Rukh Khan as well as his co-stars. The protesters also threatened the mall authority that if this film is released, then they will start an even fiercer protest. The protesters were captured in a video damaging property of the mall.

In a video shared by the VHP, protesters could be seen shouting slogans and tearing posters and large cut-outs of Pathaan's star cast.The controversy started after Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra, aired his objections to one of the songs of the movie, released as Besharam Rang.

Mishra then told media persons, "The costumes in the song at first glance are objectionable. It is clearly visible that the song of the film Pathaan has been shot with a dirty mindset."`Pathaan` is part of Aditya Chopra's ambitious spy universe and stars SRK, Deepika and John Abraham. The adrenaline-pumping film got released on January 25 in theatres in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. (With inputs from IANS and ANI)

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