The Sikh community's mini parliament, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), declared on Saturday that Punjab will not be allowed to screen BJP MP Kangana Ranaut's film Emergency because it denigrated the Sikh people.
The film Emergency was rejected in a resolution adopted by the SGPC during its executive meeting in Amritsar, and the state government was encouraged to outright ban its distribution. The Sikh community cannot accept the film's defamation of Sikhs or its involvement in the character assassination of Jarnail Singh Khalsa Bhindranwala, according to SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami.
"This film has been made with the spirit of spewing poison and spreading hatred against the community under an anti-Sikh agenda, which will not be allowed to screen in Punjab at any cost," he said, the New Indian Express reported.
He went on to say that the Sikhs, particularly the Shiromani Akali Dal leadership, were instrumental in the protests against the Emergency declared by the then-prime minister Indira Gandhi, even going so far as to court arrests.
He underlined that in order to preserve a peaceful communal environment, the Punjab government should act as the state's representative and ban the movie Emergency. Additionally, Dhami implored the Lok Sabha Speaker to revoke Kangana Ranaut's membership in light of her communal comments.
He said that there is discrimination against Sikhs in the nation when it comes to Sikh concerns. One instance of this is the refusal to release Punjab 95, a film based on the life of prominent Sikh leader Jaswant Singh Khalra, despite multiple edits.
He drew attention to the fact that in the instance of Balwant Singh Rajoana, the central government has not taken any action to either free him or change his capital punishment to life in prison, despite a decision by the Supreme Court.
Regarding this, Rajoana has now petitioned the Supreme Court, and the SGPC will continue to firmly support him. Dhami declared that the committee is determined to keep working towards Rajoana's and the Bandi Singhs' (Sikh prisoners') release.
Dhami also brought notice to the Meghalaya government's suggested demolition plans for the 200-year-old Gurdwara Guru Nanak Darbar, which is situated in Shillong's Punjabi Colony.
He implored the government to put an immediate stop to these actions and guarantee the protection of the Sikh community's right to their own homes. Additionally, he made a plea to Amit Shah, the home minister, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to step in and tell the Meghalaya government to halt its anti-Sikh actions.