SGPC writes to Mann, seeks ban on 'Emergency' in Punjab a day before release
Amritsar, Jan 16 (PTI): The SGPC on Thursday wrote to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, seeking a ban on the release of Kangana Ranaut's movie 'Emergency' saying it "tarnishes" the image of Sikhs and "misrepresents" history.
Actor and BJP MP Ranaut's 'Emergency' is slated to release in cinemas on January 17.
In the letter to Mann, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee chief Harjinder Singh Dhami expressed strong objection to Ranaut's film.
Dhami said that if the film is released in Punjab, it will spark "outrage and anger" in the Sikh community and therefore it is the responsibility of the government to ban its release in the state.
The SGPC, an apex gurdwara body, had earlier also protested the film.
"It has come to our attention that the movie 'Emergency' produced by BJP MP Kangana Ranaut is going to be released on 17th January 2025 in cinemas in different cities of Punjab and the tickets have also started to be booked," its letter to Mann read.
Dhami said the SGPC had also protested the release of the movie in a letter to the Punjab Chief Secretary on November 14 last year.
"But it is sad that the Punjab government has not taken any step till now. If this film is released on January 17, 2025, then it is natural to create outrage and anger in the Sikh world," the current letter read.
Dhami said the SGPC will submit a letter also to all the deputy commissioners in Punjab, seeking a ban on the film in the state.
The SGPC denounced the "character assassination" of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, the Khalistani militant killed in 1984 in a military operation.
"If this film is released in Punjab, we will be forced to strongly oppose it at the state level," Dhami said.
In August last year, the SGPC sent a legal notice to the producers of the 'Emergency' film, alleging that it "misrepresented" the character and history of Sikhs, and asked them to remove the objectionable scenes depicting "anti-Sikh" sentiments.
In the notice, the producers of the film, including Kangana Ranaut, were asked to remove the trailer released on August 14 from all public and social media platforms and tender a written apology to the Sikh community.
The SGPC objected to film writing separate letters to the Minister of Information and Broadcasting and the Central Board of Film Certification.
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Hyderabad: Bidar ATM robbers narrowly escape while police attempt to arrest accused
Hyderabad: Two suspects involved in the shooting and burglary at Bidar ATM narrowly escaped capture by the police in Hyderabad on Thursday evening. The gang of two men who allegedly shot at an SBI security guard who had come to fill an ATM in Bidar and fled with Rs 93 lakh in cash were traced down to a travelling agency in Hyderabad.
According to reports, the two assailants, who arrived in Hyderabad, which is about 150 km from Bidar, at around 3-4 pm, booked a bus ticket to Raipur under the identity of Amit Kumar at Roshan Travels, a traveling agency in Masjid Chaman area of Afzal Ganj, owned by Riyaz.
Acting on the tip-off, the Bidar police reached Hyderabad, and joined the same bus towards Raipur at 7:00 PM to apprehend the robbers.
As part of a routine security check, passengers were transferred from a small bus near Savera Palace to a larger vehicle. During this transfer, travel agency staff became suspicious of the two passengers carrying oversized bags. Ticket manager Jahangir attempted to inspect their luggage when the suspects offered him a wad of cash to dissuade him.
When Jahangir persisted, the robbers pulled out a gun, fired two shots, and fled the scene. Jahangir was hit and is currently receiving treatment in the intensive care unit of a local hospital.
Sources indicate that the accused were from North India.
