Padmavati director Sanjay Leela Bhansali should be tried for treason for distorting history, BJP member Arjun Gupta has urged in a letter addressed to Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
Gupta, who is the General Secretary of the Uttar Bharatiya Morcha, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said something "disgusting" is being done in the pursuit of earning money and for boosting one's career.
Referring to Bhansali, Gupta said that he has tried to malign Rani Padmavati's sacrifice through Padmavati.
"The whole country, not just the Rajput community, is standing against it. He needs to be severely punished by being tried for treason for his attempt to distort history, so that in future any filmmaker is wary of these kind of projects."
Gupta has also appealed to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to "not certify this film".
"I am fully confident that my letter will taken into consideration, and a sedition case is run (registered) against Bhansali," Gupta added.
Just five days ago, firebrand BJP MLA from Hyderabad, Raja Singh, had warned of burning down theatres in the city if Padmavati was released in the state without the clearance of the Rajput community heads.
Speaking at a Rajput community gathering in Hyderabad, the Goshamahal MLA, infamous for his hate speeches, said that he will teach a lesson to those who try to malign and demean the Hindu culture.
Provoking the Rajputs of Hyderabad, he said, “Across the country there are protests against the movie. But no one here is raising any objection to the film. Did our blood become cold?”
Padmavati is slated to release on December 1, and there is brouhaha over it as various organisations have been targeting the filmmaker for distortion of history in the movie, touted as a "historical drama".
Bhansali has repeatedly clarified that the film has no such scene between Rani Padmavati and invader Alauddin Khilji which can hurt sentiments.
(With IANS inputs)