“How Can The High Command Keep Quiet When Goons Are Threatening”:Shatrughan On Padmavati

Never one to mince words, actor-politician Shatrughan Sinha feels it is “too late” for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to maintain silence on the blazing row over Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Bollywood film Padmavati.

“On some level, I can understand the silence of my colleagues in the BJP. After all, what can they say when the miscreants and fringe elements are given a free hand? Still, I’d like to say it’s too late for our dynamic Prime Minister and the other high command to stay silent.”

“Padmavati is a raging issue. And the fringe elements are openly issuing threats. How can the high command keep quiet when goons are threatening to behead Bhansali and Deepika Padukone? It’s time for our honourable Prime Minister to say ‘enough is enough’. If you give the goons a free reign, they will continue to cross limits in ways we wouldn’t be able to control,” Shatrughan said.

He is even less tolerant of the silence within the film industry.

“One of our country’s most precious filmmakers is being bullied and threatened. And all of them are looking the other way? What a shame! No one except Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar — who are always fearless in opposing injustice — has come out to condemn the violence.”

“I can understand Bachchan saab’s (Amitabh Bachchan) silence. He has always been wary of getting into controversies. But what about the rest? Industry mein itna sannatta kyon (Why is there so much silence in the industry)?”