Community members give call for Punjab bandh

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, August 3

The Valmiki community under the banner of the Valmiki Tiger Force today gave a call of Punjab Bandh in protest against the ‘derogatory’ language used while addressing Bhagwan Valmiki in Bollywood star Arshad Warsi’s upcoming film, The Legend of Michael Mishra.

Members of the organisation submitted a memorandum of demands to the district administration seeking arrest of Arshad Warsi, the film’s producer, director and chairman of the CBFC.

They said an FIR against Rakhi Sanwat had been registered for using objectionable language against Bhagwan Valmiki, yet the police failed to arrest her. In the memorandum, they also demanded the arrest of Rakhi Sanwat.

They urged the government not to get the film released as it hurt the religious sentiments of the community members.

While threatening cinema owners, they said if the same film was screened, the government and cinema owners would be responsible for the damage.

The other organisations, including the Punjab Safai Mazdoor Federation, the Dalit Suraksha Sena Amritsar, the Veer Lav Kush Sena, the City Valmiki Sabha and several other groups relating to the community, also participated in the protest.

Federation president Chandan Grewal claimed that he had approached the Deputy CM of Punjab, seeking a ban on the film.

Notably, the Punjab Safai Mazdoor Federation had already given a call for Punjab Bandh.