'Padmaavat' row: Karni Sena withdraws protest against film

The Rajput Karni Sena, which has been demonstrating against Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s film Padmaavat, on Friday said it was withdrawing the protest, IANS reported. The outfit said that it had accepted that the movie glorified Rajput valour.

Rajput Karni Sena’s Mumbai leader Yogendra Singh Katar said that a few members of the outfit watched the movie on the directions of the organisation’s national president Sukhdev Singh Gogamadi on Friday. He said they found that the movie glorifies the valour and sacrifice of Rajputs, and that “every Rajput would feel proud” after watching it.

The Karni Sena had been demanding a ban on the movie on the grounds that it ”distorts” historical facts and shows queen Padmini in a poor light. Four states – Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana banned the movie. However, the Supreme Court overturned these bans and the film was released on January 25.On Friday, Katar said there were no “objectionable scenes” between queen Padmini and Delhi Sultanate ruler Alauddin Khilji in the film. In a letter, he said the Karni Sena would help the administrations in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh to release the film.