Padmaavat: Producer's lawyer Harish Salve threatened, Karni Sena denies

A day after SC stayed the ban on Padmavaat imposed by six state governments, Harish Salve who appeared for the producers in the apex court has received threats. According to multiple reports, Salve's office got calls which threatened to physically harm him. People calling claimed to be part of Karni Sena. 

However, Karni Sena has denied making any such calls to Harish Salve. NDTV quoted Karni Sena member  Lokendra Kalvi as saying, "To blame Karni Sena for everything is wrong". 

The Supreme Court on Thursday paved the way for the nationwide release of Bollywood movie Padmaavat on January 25 by staying the ban on the screening of the controversial film in Gujarat and Rajasthan. Post SC verdict, Karni Sena has threatened to perform mass Jauhar and have also warned about resorting to violence if cinema halls decide to screen the movie. The state governments have reacted cautiously and said that they will take steps after reading the full verdict. 

The apex court also restrained other states from issuing any such notification or order banning the screening of the film, with Chief Justice Dipak Misra saying "the whole problem is when the exhibition of a film is stopped like this, my constitutional conscience shocks me". "There were so many films earlier, but nobody really bothered. 'Bandit Queen' had passed the test of the Supreme Court," the CJI, who was heading the bench, said. The film, starring Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh in lead roles, is based on the saga of historic battle of 13th century between Maharaja Ratan Singh and his army of Mewar and Sultan Alauddin Khilji of Delhi.

Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing Gujarat and Rajasthan, said that grant of certificate by the CBFC cannot denude the state of the power to prohibit the exhibition of a film.
Senior advocates Harish Salve and Mukul Rohatgi, who were appearing for the petitioners, said the states had no power to issue such notifications banning exhibition of a film when the CBFC has already given a certificate for its release.

While Salve termed it as "lawlessness", Rohatgi said that states cannot act like "super censor board" and issue such notifications or orders. ASG Mehta said there were intelligence reports regarding law and order problem in these states in the event of exhibition of this movie and CBFC, while certifying the film, was neither supposed to know about the law and order situation, nor does it have the wherewithal to deal with it. "Please try to understand. Let the film be released," the bench told the ASG, adding a movie might not be so successful at the box office and people might not go to watch it, but it's exhibition cannot be prohibited like this.

The issue of alleged distortion of history was also raked up before the court and Salve referred to the right to freedom of speech and expression guaranteed under the Constitution.
However, Mehta contended that "history may be distorted but somebody showing Gandhiji sipping whisky, then the country will have objection". "Freedom of Expression and Speech can never include distortion in our country," the ASG said. The bench said these matters must have been looked into by the CBFC. Salve countered the submissions of Mehta saying, "This is lawlessness. The states cannot say we have political obligations to cater to, so we will not allow screening of a film."

He said the Centre should not "support" these states due to "political compulsion" and must direct them to comply with the CBFC certification.

With PTI inputs