Playing partisan politics with law and order should be a no-no at all times. Unfortunately, State governments look the other way when friendly groups indulge in street violence to address real or perceived grievances. For instance, the Congress government in Karnataka was behind the bandh in the State on Thursday.
Apparently, it was meant to protest the failure of the Centre to pressure Goa to release more river waters for the State with an eye on the coming Assembly poll. Yet, it is the continuing violence by a handful of goons against the release of Padmaavat which shakes over faith in the system.
Once the highest court in the land has cleared the film for screening throughout the country, there is no reason for anyone to protest. Bullying and intimidating the exhibitors as well as the people who might want to watch the latest offering from the noted film maker Sanjay Leela Bhansali ought to have attracted strict police action.
The film has been duly certified by the censor board. A handful of lumpens cannot be allowed to become the arbiters of good or bad cinema. It is a shame that the State governments, despite the apex court order, continue to handle the small group of thugs with kid-gloves. No one has a right to take the law into his own hands.
Unless we are to become a banana republic, the concerned States would immediately put down these publicity-crazy goons behind the bars and ensure that the people have a right to see Padmaavat in order to judge it on merit. At least, this fundamental right of the people should be defended vigorously by the State governments.
