Padmaavat row: SC dismisses Karni Sena plea claiming film’s certification is ‘illegal’

The Supreme Court has refused to entertain the plea of the fringe group Rajput Karni Sena claiming that the censor certificate issued to Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) was ‘illegal.’

The three-judge bench headed by Deepak Misra, the Chief Justice of India (CJI), reminded the Karni Sena, through their lawyer Manohar Lal Mishra, that the court has already lifted the ban imposed on the film in four states — Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Haryana.

“The court has to function as a constitutional court and it has already yesterday, in its interim order, said that states can't block a movie from screening,” Misra was quoted by the news agency ANI.

The producers of Padmaavat, Viacom 18 Motion Pictures, had challenged the ban imposed on the film in the four states yesterday in the SC. The SC passed an order in favour of the film by lifting the ban in the four states while highlighting that the film is already passed by the CBFC for screening all over India.

The bench also ordered the respective state governments to ensure law and order is maintained when the film is released on 25 January.

People from the film industry welcomed the judgement.

Padmaavat will clash with Akshay Kumar-starrer Pad Man on 25 January.