Demand to ban Jodhaa Akbar in UP

Varanasi, Feb 22 (UNI) The Vishwa Chatriya Mahasabha today urged the Uttar Pradesh government to ban Ashutosh Gowarikar's magnum opus 'Jodhaa Akbar' in the state for distorting facts and hurting the sentiments of the community.

''We have been decrying the issue since the day Mahasabha came to know about the making of Jodhaa Akbar...we requested the film director several times not to distort facts and urged the central government to ban its screening, but it was of no avail,'' Mahasabha leader Dr Vijay Keshari told reporters here.

''The screening of Jodhaa Akbar has wounded the sentiments of the Chatriyas,'' he said.

'Jodhaa Akbar' has been embroiled in controversy with the Rajput Karni Sena calling for a nationwide ban on the much-awaited period film for its distortion of history.

In press statements issued in various parts of the country over the last few weeks, the Rajput Karni Sena had threatened not to allow the screening of 'Jodhaa Akbar' across India, especially in theatres in Rajasthan.

''Jodhaa Akbar is an example of a film ''distorting historical facts under the garb of magnificent production values and elaborate sets. Showing Akbar and Jodhabai as husband-wife, when in reality she was the better half of Akbar's father Jahangir not only constitutes a careless tampering with history by the filmmaker Ashutosh Gowarikar, but also a gross violation of Indian traditions and social values,'' it had alleged.

Earlier, raising slogans against the movie, a mob had demonstrated outside the Novelty Cinema hall in Lalbagh area of the Uttar Pradesh capital.

However, the agitation did not affect the exhibition of 'Jodhaa Akbar', which opened on 1,500 screens in 26 countries on February 15.

The screening of the controversial movie has been banned in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

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