Kedarnath Screening Banned In Seven Districts Of Uttarakhand

District Magistrates (DMs) of seven districts of Uttarakhand have imposed a ban on the screening of the move Kedarnath in view opposition to the movie by Hindu outfits over allegations of hurting sentiments of Hindus. 

The Sushant Singh Rajput-Sara Ali Khan starrer set against the backdrop of the 2013 deluge and depicts the love story of a Muslim porter and a Hindu girl on a pilgrimage to Kedarnath, was released across the country on Friday.

There is a ban on the film in seven districts of Uttarakhand where Hindu outfits have protested the film burning effigies of film-makers and the Central Board of Film Certification, ADG (law and order) Ashok Kumar told PTI on Friday.

The decision has been taken by the respective DMs concerned to maintain law and order in their areas, he said.

The seven districts out of the toal 11 districts in state, where the film has been banned are Dehradun, Haridwar, Nainital, Udham Singh Nagar, Pauri, Tehri and Almora, the ADG said.

Districts, where there are no multiplexes or cinema halls like Chamoli, Uttarkashi, Pithoragarh, Bageshwar, Champawat and Rudraparayag, have been left out of the ambit of the ban, he said.

The ban was imposed by DMs concerned after the Uttarakhand High Court, while dismissing a PIL seeking a ban on it on Thursday, left it to the discretion of the state government and district administrations.

The state government held a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat late in the evening after submission of a report by the empowered committee headed by Tourism minister Satpal Maharaj and decided not to declare an official ban on it.

Earlier on Thursday, while dismissing a public interest litigation (PIL) that sought a ban freshly released the movie, the Uttarakhand High Court told the litigant "don't see the movie if you don't like it."

"Don't see the movie if you don't like it. We are not the censor board. We are a democracy and everyone is free to exercise their rights. State shall ensure law and order is maintained," said the division bench comprising Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice Ramesh Chand Khulbe, according to a report in Times of India.

However, it left the decision to the district magistrates whether or not to allow the screening of the movie depending on the situation in their respective areas.

(with inputs from PTI)