By PTI
BHOPAL: Accusing filmmakers of hurting sentiments of the Sanatan Dharma in the name of entertainment, Bhopal BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur on Monday said the Bharat Bhakti Akhada headed by her will create a separate department to vet scripts, contents of movies and web series, and if needed will not allow the making of controversial films.
She also threatened to stop the shooting of the third season of the web series “Ashram”, a day after suspected Bajrang Dal activists vandalised the set of ‘Ashram’ in Bhopal and threw ink on director Prakash Jha.
The activists had accused Jha of portraying Hindus in a bad light.
Police arrested four people for the ruckus.
Thakur said that various forms of entertainment should give the right direction to society and not hurt the sentiments.
“They (filmmakers) are forcing us to watch movies and take action against them. We will not tolerate anybody maligning the Sanatan Dharma,” Thakur told a news channel in reply to a question about linking Sunday’s incident with the upcoming elections.
Thakur said seers don’t watch movies but the Bharat Bhakti Akhada (formed by her in February 2019) will set up a separate department to vet script (of controversial movies) and movies before their release or “we will not allow the making of such films”.
“I will take action against such persons (those making movies on these subjects) in the Censor Board,” she said.
The BJP leader further said she will write a letter to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in this regard and take legal action.
Earlier in the day, a group of seers submitted a memorandum to Thakur demanding the release of the men arrested for ransacking the set of ‘Ashram-3’ at the Old Jail in Bhopal’s Arera Hills.
Talking to reporters on the occasion, Thakur threatened to stop the shooting of the web series.
“An ‘ashram’ is an arrangement of sadhus under the Sanatan Dharma. It is not a subject that anybody can portray in a bad light. An ashram is not a subject on which anybody can raise a finger. A person can be wrong and action can be taken against such people under the existing system. But it will not be tolerable if anyone defames this (Ashram) arrangement of the Sanatan Dharma or Hindus and religious leaders,” she said.
Thakur alleged that the image of the Sanatan Dharma was being maligned in the name of entertainment.
“Being a sanyasi, I can feel the pain of sadhus. Our mind gets pleased and starts emanating good feelings when we hear the word ‘Ashram’ but this is being presented in a distorted form,” she added.
Thakur alleged the sentiments (of Hindus) were being hurt through various entertainment mediums since Independence in the absence of leadership in the country.
“The movies have become a medium to hurt the sentiments of Hindus. This should stop now, not only in MP but in the entire country,” she said.
She dared filmmakers to make films on subjects like church, madrasa (Muslim seminary), the Bible and the Quran.
Thakur said directors and producers of communist ideology are continuously targeting Hindus, their history and idols since Independence.
“Nobody makes movies on the subject like ‘Love Jihad’ and there is also a Jameen (land) jihad going on under which the land is being grabbed on a large scale not only in Bhopal but also at other places,” she alleged.
After the Sunday incident, Madhya Pradesh Home minister Narottam Mishra Monday said producers and directors will have to inform authorities about objectionable content or scenes in their stories before seeking permission for shooting in the state.
