The complaint said Mr Akhtar had deliberately tried to insult a particular community (File)
Highlights
- Javed Akhtar accused of insulting the Rajput community
- Lyricist and poet had tried to defend Padmavati amid ongoing controversy
- An activist in Rajasthan has filed the complaint
Poet and lyricist Javed Akhtar has insulted the Rajputs, the Karni Sena, a group that has been spearheading the protests against Bollywood film
Padmavati, has alleged. The group has said he would be "banned" from Rajasthan and a complaint has been filed against Mr Akhtar, asking that the police lodge a case against him for inciting communal enmity.
Mr Akhtar's comment, to which the Rajput Karni Sena has taken exception, was made in the support of the movie. Defending
Padmavati in an interview with a television channel at the Lucknow lit-fest, Mr Akhtar had questioned why the Rajput rulers have served the British for 200 years and never fought against them.
The Karni Sena said his remarks mocked the history of the Rajputs. Mahipal singh Makrana, the official who had threatened physical harm to actor Deepika Padukone, said Mr Akhtar was not welcome in Rajasthan any more.
The complaint filed against Mr Akhtar said he had deliberately tried to insult and shame a particular community. It demanded that a case be filed under adequate sections that outline a maximum punishment of five years and a fine.
Last week, Mahipal Singh Makrana had announced that Deepika Padukone will get the same treatment as Ravana's sister Surpanakha, whose nose had been chopped off, in the epic Ramayana, for her role in the movie.
Some Rajput fringe groups have declared war on the Bollywood movie Padmavati, alleging that the movie distorts history and shows the 13th Century legendary Queen in a bad light by suggesting a romance between her and Delhi Sultan Khilji, who was infatuated with her.
Apprehensive of irking the politically crucial community, politicians across party lines have demanded a ban on the film. Four states - BJP-ruled Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Congress-governed Punjab -- have said the movie should not be screened.
The Supreme Court has turned down appeals to ban the movie, which is yet to get clearance from the censor board. The film's producers have voluntarily declared that its release will be deferred.