SC refuses to modify order allowing release of 'Padmaavat'

Mumbai: The Supreme Court today refused to modify its earlier order which had cleared the decks for the nationwide release of ‘Padmaavat’, saying people must understand that orders of the top court have to be “abided with”.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra said this while rejecting pleas filed by Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh seeking modification in its January 18 order. The Supreme Court had paved the way for the nationwide release of ‘Padmaavat’ on January 25 by staying the ban on the screening in states of Gujarat and Rajasthan.

“People must understand that the Supreme Court has passed an order. They must abide by it. It is the obligation of the states to maintain law and order,” the bench also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud said.

“We are not inclined to modify our order,” the bench said while dismissing the plea. It asked the states to follow its order and gave them the liberty to approach it again “if the situation arises”.

The bench also dismissed the applications filed by Shree Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena, which has been staging protest in several states against the release of the movie, and Akhil Bharatiya Kshatriya Mahasabha, seeking to stall the exhibition of the Sanjay Leela Bhansali movie.

Maintaining that states were under constitutional obligation to maintain law and order, the top court had said this duty also included providing police protection to persons involved in the film, its exhibition and the audience.

The film, starring Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh in lead roles, is based on the saga of a historic 13th century battle between Maharaja Ratan Singh and his army of Mewar and Sultan Alauddin Khilji of Delhi.