'Emergency' Pulled from Screening in Punjab Following SGPC Protests; Kangana Calls It 'Harassment'

The SGPC, an apex gurdwara body, and several Sikh organisations held demonstrations against the movie outside cinemas, multiplexes and malls across the state.

Kangana Ranaut’s “Emergency” was not screened at cinemas in Punjab on Friday following state-wide protests by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and Sikh organisations against the movie with many politicians calling for a ban, which the actor termed as “harassment”.

The SGPC, an apex gurdwara body, and several Sikh organisations held demonstrations against the movie outside cinemas, multiplexes and malls across the state.

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Ranaut, who has directed, written and produced the political drama, decried the demand for a ban on "Emergency" and said the film's restricted screenings in parts of Punjab is a "complete harassment of art and the artist".

A film which sees Ranaut playing the role of former prime minister Indira Gandhi, and focusing on 21 months of Emergency from 1975 to 1977. The movie, in controversy over its censor certificate and allegations that it misrepresents the Sikh community, was released across the country on Friday after several delays.

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In fact, most the cinemas in Ludhiana, Amritsar, Patiala, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur and Bathinda did not play the film. Police force were deployed outside malls and cinemas throughout the state.

In Amritsar, for example, protesters who included women, were seen waving black flags and placards reading "Emergency should be banned" and "Boycott Emergency movie". "We spoke with the central government and the Punjab government to stop the release of the movie but no action was taken…," SGPC's Partap Singh told PTI, adding that they had gathered to stop the release because the film had been made to disturb the peace of Punjab.

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"Sikh characters are portrayed objectionably," he added.

He was also referring to the letter which SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami wrote on Thursday to the Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, demanding the ban on this movie.

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What is tragic enough is that an AAP government here is deliberately showing "indifference" to Sikh issues he said. This is not going to be any good for this state, added he.

Ranaut is an MP from the BJP, and the responsibility of an MP is significant. He or she should work to bring everyone in society together, but instead, she is creating divisions…," said SGPC chief secretary, Kulwant Singh Mannan.
Mannan said Sikh characters have been portrayed in a "wrong way" in the film.

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He said it is unfortunate that the Punjab government has not taken any step to stop the film till now.

SGPC member Bhagwant Singh Sialka said no "anti-Sikh" act will be tolerated and said it is a responsibility of the governments to respect the interests and sentiments of every religion.

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Similar scenes played out in Mohali.

The film has been made to offend the entire Sikh community. We will not let the movie release in Mohali or anywhere in Punjab. The SGPC is united in this matter," said Rajinder Singh Tohra, a member of the SGPC.

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Members of a Sikh organisation in Jalandhar said they will not allow "Emergency" to be screened anywhere in Punjab.

According to Deputy Commissioner of Police Shivam Aggarwal, the film was scheduled to be screened at four theatres in Ludhiana.

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However, after getting objections from certain Sikh organisations, the cinema owners did not screen the movie, he said.

Workers of Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) visited several cinemas in Hoshiarpur and requested their managements not to screen the movie.

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Taking note of the protests against the movie, senior Congress leader and former deputy chief minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa has also sought a ban on the movie.
"Given the already fragile law and order situation in the state, the @BhagwantMann government should consider imposing a complete ban on the film within Punjab.".

"It is the government's primary responsibility to safeguard public sentiments and ensure communal harmony takes precedence over the screening of such films," said Randhawa in a post on X.

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Ranaut, BJP MP from Himachal Pradesh's Mandi, reacted to the calls for ban on "Emergency" in a post on X.

"This is complete harassment of art and the artist, from Punjab many cities are reporting that these people are not allowing Emergency to be screened.

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"I have utmost respect for all religions and after studying and growing up in Chandigarh, I have closely observed and followed Sikh religion. This is a complete lie and propaganda to tarnish my image and harm my film #Emergency," she said.

The 38-year-old actor-director was responding to a post by Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira, who himself supported the call for a ban her film.

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Khaira said that Ranaut is a known critic of "farmers & Sikhs without knowing their contribution towards our country.".

SGPC is our elected representative body and should take immediate steps to ban the film that depicts Sikhs in bad light and brings defamation to our state of Punjab and its people he added.

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The SGPC has also submitted memorandums to all deputy commissioners in the state seeking a ban on this film in the state.

Last year in August, the Sikhs' Supreme Gurdwara Committee served a legal notice to the movie's producers of "misrepresentation" of the Sikh character and his history and required them to eliminate scenes that featured "anti-Sikh" attitude.

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