Mayawati BANS Aarakshan in UP

The Uttar Pradesh government has banned Prakash Jha's controversy-ridden new film, Aarakshan. A press release by the government states that the ban is, indeed, permanent.

The government, headed by Chief Minister Mayawati, wants some 'objectionable' content removed and will allow the screening only after those scenes have been deleted.

"The decision to ban the film was taken after prolonged discussion and debate on the movie after is was viewed by a high level committee of top officials of the state," said an official press release issued late night here.

The release also said:

"After due deliberations, the high level committee came to the conclusion that several exchange of dialogues between different characters in the film were quite provocating and could incite civil disorder and violence.

"Some of the dialogues were potentially so dangerous that they could even provoke a person to commit some crime; hence in the larger interest of maintenance of law and order, peace and tranquility, the decision to ban the film.

"Since the film theme deals with a sensitive subject like reservation on which there has been a lot of controversy, together with cases of violence, both in favour and against the issue, it was found best not to allow exhibition of the movie," it said.

This radical decision was taken following a special screening held yesterday.

Close on the heels of this controversy, there is also word that three Maharashtra ministers, namely Nitin Raut, Varsha Gaikwad and Mohammed Arif Nasim Khan, have written to Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan asking him not to allow the film to be released in the state.

Watch this space for more updates.