The district administration of Kota has on Monday imposed section 144 in the city in order to maintain law and order during the screening of the recently released film ‘The Kashmir Files.’ The order has been issued for a month from March 22 to April 21 in view of maintaining law and order with the screening of the movie. Activities such as assembly of crowd, demonstration, protest, processions, and rallies will not be allowed.
However, this has not gone down well with the Rajasthan assembly as it witnessed an uproar on Tuesday over the imposing of section 144 in Kota. After the protest, the administration however clarified that there is no ban on watching the film.
During the zero hour, BJP MLA from Kota, Sandeep Sharma through a point of order raised the issue.
“What kind of an order has been issued by the administration? The movie is released across the country…Is the district administration incapable to handle law and order?” he asked.
The issue was supported by other BJP MLAs leading to an uproar. Chairperson, JP Chandelia intervened and urged to maintain the order of the house and said that the issue is brought to the notice of the government.
Deputy opposition leader Rajendra Rathore said the party will give prior notice on the issue and seek the government’s reply.
The director of the movie, Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri took to social media to say that the strength of terrorists is that they create fear and we get afraid. In his tweet tagging union information and broadcasting minister Anurag Thakur and Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, Agnihotri said, “Dear Anurag Thakur (Union IB Minister), if the film on right to justice is sabotaged by the state in a democracy, what we should think of justice? Dear Ashok Gehlot, only strength of terrorists is that they create fear and we get afraid. Dear ‘The Kashmir Files’ viewers, it’s your time for justice.”
Right after the tweet, the district administration Kota also took to social media and clarified that there is no ban on screening and watching of the film.
Meanwhile, Bhartiya Janta Yuva Morcha (BJYM) decided to hold a protest on Wednesday against the order by the district administration. BJYM state president Himanshu Sharma said that national president and Lok Sabha MP Tejasvi Surya will lead the protest on Wednesday to withdraw the section 144 imposed in an unconstitutional manner.
“What situation had risen to write the movie name in the order? It has to be clarified and is not clarified in order. An inquiry has to be made before imposing section 144 and the reason has to be clarified. The way the order has been released is illegal, undemocratic and unconstitutional,” Sharma told reporters at a press conference.
He said that if the order is not revoked then the BJYM will lodge a state-wide protest against the state government.
