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Eye on Gujarat’s Rajputs votes, BJP and Congress unite against Bhansali’s Padmavati

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9 years ago

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Eye on Gujarat’s Rajputs votes, BJP and Congress unite against Bhansali’s Padmavati

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Congress, BJP want the Deepika Padukone-starrer to be banned in Gujarat or its release deferred till elections are over, say distortion of history shouldn’t be allowed

Even as the Congress and BJP engage in a high-pitched diatribe against each other in poll-bound Gujarat, here’s an issue that seems to have united the two political parties – Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s opulent multi-starrer Padmavati.

With doubts being raised on whether the film stays true to the “historical facts” of the siege of Chittor by Alauddin Khilji, the BJP and Congress both fear that any “distortion of history” by the makers of Padmavati might rile the Rajput community of Gujarat and cause a law and order situation. The Deepika Padukone-starrer film is slated for a December 1 release while Gujarat is scheduled to go for a two phase election on December 9 and 14.

The BJP has demanded that the Election Commission must intervene in the issue and either defer the release of Padmavati to a date after the Gujarat polls or ban the release of the film in the state. The Congress on the other hand has said that the film should be banned if it “distorts history”.

The demands by the BJP and the Congress – both parties are eyeing to capture the state’s substantial Kshatriya/Rajput vote which holds the key to winning around two dozen of the state’s 182 assembly seats – comes days after former chief minister Shankersinh Vaghela (a Kshatriya leader) threatened “violent protests” across the state if the film was released in Gujarat without being pre-screened for Hindu, and specifically Kshatriya, community leaders and being approved by them. Vaghela, who had quit the BJP over two decades ago to join the Congress but quit the grand-old party earlier this year, has announced a ‘third front’ to take challenge the Congress and the BJP in the largely bi-polar state.

Gujarat is a prestige battle for the BJP which has ruled the state for the past 22 years. It is also the home state of www.apnlive.com/topic/narendra-modiand the party’s national president Amit Shah. With Modi no longer the chief minister of Gujarat and the incumbent Vijay Rupani government facing an uphill electoral battle due to anti-incumbency and agitated Patel, Dalit, Adivasi and Minority communities, the Congress is hoping to finally end its exile from power in the state. In such a situation, every seat and every endorsement by members of different castes who comprise the Gujarat electorate counts.

While on the face of it, the BJP and Congress’ opposition to Padmavati may seem trivial, but in its backdrop lies a greater political battle for the two political parties.

Expectedly then, the state BJP’s spokesperson IK Jadeja said that his party “would prefer that Padmavati is either banned or its release.” A Kshatriya leader himself, Jadeja said: “We have received representations from Khastriya, Rajput communities opposing any purported distortion of history and character of Rani Padmavati in the movie.”

Senior Congress leader and also a chief ministerial hopeful, Shaktisinh Gohil echoed views that were strikingly similar to his political rival though he did seek to put the BJP in a spot too. “With elections round the corner, a minister from the BJP has written to the Election Commission seeking a ban on ‘Padmavati’ till the elections are over. It is your (BJP) government, write to the PM (sic),” Gohil said. The Congress leader added: “Postponing the release of the movie will not assuage the feelings of a community. We demand that if there has been distortion of history as some people have claimed, the movie should not be released at all.”

What is hilarious, though also disturbing, about the controversy over Padmavati is the fact that the “historical accuracy” that opponents of the film have been talking about is itself highly suspect. Several noted historians have rubbished the claims put forth by a section of self-anointed Rajput and Hindu scholars with regard to the siege of Chittor and the characters of Rani Padmavati (depicted in the film by Deepika Padukone) and Raja Rattan Singh (portrayed by Shahid Kapoor).

The character of Rani Padmavati was a creation of the 16th Century Sufi poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi who is known for his epic poem Padmavat. Written around 1540 AD, Padmavat introduced the character of Rani Padmavati to history. The legend that Alauddin Khilji got smitten by the beauty of the brave and immensely beautiful queen Padmavati and laid siege on Chittor to capture her was Jayasi’s creation – it was written over 200 years after Khilji’s actual conquest of Chittor in Rajasthan. In the years after 1540, the legend was strengthened by Hindu and Kshatriya scholars to establish Rani Padmavati as a ‘real historical character’ though her existence doesn’t really find any mention in the texts of the time when Chittor was actually conquered by Khilji.

Yet, the theatrical revival of the legend of Padmavati has caused a flutter in India today, leaving radical Hindu and Kshatriya groups riled. While Bhansali himself was attacked by goons of the Hindu right-wing outfit Karni Sena in January this year during the making of the film, in October members of the same fringe outfit destroyed a Surat-based local artist’s painstaking 48-hour-long effort at creating a ‘rangoli’ depicting Deepika Padukone as Padmavati.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Gandhi Parivar vs Sangh Parivar, Revanth Reddy’s remark sparks BJP attack

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s remarks contrasting the Gandhi Parivar with the Sangh Parivar triggered a BJP response accusing Congress of prioritising the Gandhi family.

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2 hours ago

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September 26, 2026

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Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s remarks comparing the Gandhi Parivar and Sangh Parivar have triggered a political exchange, with the BJP hitting back at the Congress leader.

Speaking in Kerala on Friday, Mr Reddy described the contest over India’s future as a fight between the two “parivars”. He said the Gandhi family had made sacrifices for the country while accusing the Sangh Parivar of attempting to divide India on the basis of religion, caste, region and language.

What Revanth Reddy said

Mr Reddy cited Mahatma Gandhi, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi while speaking about what he described as sacrifices made by the Gandhi family.

He also referred to Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, saying they had given up positions, power and high office.

The Telangana Chief Minister said he had no remaining personal political ambitions and described his objective as working towards a Congress-led government at the Centre with Rahul Gandhi as Prime Minister.

Mr Reddy also appealed to people to stand with the Gandhi Parivar and oppose the Sangh Parivar. He described the latter as a threat to India’s democracy.

BJP hits back

The BJP responded to Mr Reddy’s remarks on Saturday.

BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said the Telangana Chief Minister’s comments amounted to an admission that Congress’s objective was to bring the Gandhi family back to power.

He also linked Mr Reddy’s remarks to the ongoing political debate around “vote chori”, the Election Commission, the Constitution and democracy, arguing that the Congress’s focus was instead on the Gandhi family.

The exchange adds to the political confrontation between the BJP and Congress, with Mr Reddy presenting the Gandhi Parivar and Sangh Parivar as opposing forces in India’s political future, while the BJP has interpreted his remarks as evidence of Congress’s focus on the Gandhi family.

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India hits back at Shehbaz Sharif at UN, says terror will have consequences

India hit back at Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s UN speech, with New Delhi warning that terrorism will have consequences.

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8 hours ago

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September 26, 2026

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India has responded to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s remarks at the United Nations, delivering a strong message on terrorism and warning that such actions will have consequences.

The response came after Mr Sharif addressed the UN and raised issues concerning India and Pakistan. New Delhi rejected the narrative presented by the Pakistani prime minister and highlighted the issue of terrorism.

India’s message was delivered by Petal Gehlot, who represented New Delhi in the response to Pakistan.

India warns Pakistan over terrorism

India’s response focused on Pakistan’s record and its approach towards terrorism. New Delhi made clear that terrorism cannot be separated from its consequences and that those responsible cannot expect such actions to go unanswered.

The Indian side also pushed back against the claims and allegations made by Mr Sharif during his UN speech.

The exchange comes amid continuing tensions between India and Pakistan, with terrorism remaining a major point of disagreement between the two countries.

Shehbaz Sharif’s UN remarks

In his address, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke about India-Pakistan relations and raised several issues concerning New Delhi.

India subsequently exercised its right of reply to respond to Pakistan’s statements at the United Nations.

New Delhi’s response underlined its position that terrorism remains a serious issue in the relationship and that there would be consequences for terrorist actions.

The latest exchange at the UN adds to the continuing diplomatic confrontation between the two neighbouring countries.

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Veeramani POCSO case: Vijay questions Stalin over earlier probe

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay has questioned MK Stalin over the handling of the Veeramani POCSO case, while Stalin has rejected allegations that the previous DMK government protected anyone.

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22 hours ago

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September 25, 2026

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Actor Vijay

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president C Joseph Vijay has questioned DMK president MK Stalin over the handling of the POCSO case involving Gem Granites founder R Veeramani. The political exchange follows renewed investigation into allegations involving minor girls.

Vijay’s remarks came as the ruling TVK stepped up its questions about how the case was handled during the previous DMK government. The party’s IT wing has alleged that the earlier investigation was weakened and questioned why a final report was filed.

The allegations have been rejected by the DMK. Stalin has said that no order was issued by the DMK government to protect anyone in the case and has called the allegations false and defamatory.

What did Vijay say about the Veeramani case?

Vijay questioned Stalin over the handling of the case and demanded an explanation from the former chief minister.

The TVK has specifically questioned why action was not taken against Veeramani during the previous administration and why the earlier investigation resulted in a closure report.

The party has also raised questions about the role of officials involved in the earlier investigation. These are political allegations made by the TVK and have not been established as facts.

What is the Veeramani POCSO case?

The case concerns allegations of sexual abuse of minors involving R Veeramani, the founder of Gem Granites.

The case came under renewed scrutiny after a special POCSO court rejected an earlier closure report and ordered further investigation. The expanded probe has subsequently identified additional alleged survivors who were minors at the time of the alleged offences, according to current reporting.

The investigation is also examining the circumstances surrounding the earlier probe and whether there were any lapses in how the case was handled.

What has MK Stalin said?

Stalin has rejected allegations that the previous DMK government protected Veeramani.

He has said that no order was issued by the DMK government to shield anyone in the case. Stalin has also said that everyone responsible for the alleged offences, including anyone who aided or attempted to protect the accused, should face the law.

The DMK president has further said that the focus should remain on securing justice for the affected girls rather than making political allegations.

Why has the case become a political issue?

The Veeramani case has become the subject of a political dispute between the ruling TVK and the DMK over the handling of the earlier investigation.

The TVK is questioning the previous government’s handling of the case, while the DMK has denied that it intervened to protect the accused.

At this stage, claims about political interference or deliberate weakening of the earlier investigation should be treated as allegations unless established by the ongoing investigation or judicial proceedings.

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