On March 21, the administration in Kota, Rajasthan, imposed Section 144 in the city for a month starting from March 22 to April 21. One of the reasons mentioned in the order issued by the District Collector was the ongoing screening of the film The Kashmir Files. The order read, “Section 144 will be imposed in Kota from tomorrow, March 22, till April 21, in the view of maintaining law and order with the screening of ‘The Kashmir Files’ and upcoming festivals.”
Rajasthan government under Congress party has now imposed Section 144 in Kota to stop people from watching #TheKashmirFiles.
— Shashank Shekhar Jha (@shashank_ssj) March 21, 2022
Residents must approach HC!
Will extend legal support.@vivekagnihotri @AnupamPKher @DarshanKumaar @bhashasumbli pic.twitter.com/sBreba5DS8
Details of the order
The order stated in the view of upcoming festivals including Good Friday, Yatha Chetichand, Mahavir Jayanti, Baisakhi, and Jumatulvida etc. and ongoing screening of the film ‘The Kashmir Files’, the administration has imposed Section 144 to maintain Law and Order in the district. It further read despite multiple warnings, young boys swim in Chambal and other rivers that, resulting in over two dozen deaths this year. Under the order, such activities have also been banned.
Mentioning that Kota district is a communally sensitive district, the order read the miscreants might see the upcoming festivals, screening of The Kashmir Files and deaths that have been happening at Chambal and order rivers as an opportunity to cause a communal disturbance.
As Section 144 has been imposed, there will be a ban on crowd gathering for any event, including for the screening of the film. The upcoming festivals will be conducted in a ceremonial manner. People will not be allowed to take baths in rivers and canals.
There is a ban on carrying any sort of weapon, including gupti, pistol, gun, rifle, stones, bricks and more. Notably, people of the Sikh community will be allowed to carry Kirpan as per the regulations. Old people who cannot walk without a cane can also carry canes with them.
The order also imposed a ban on DJ systems. It further hinted at strict action against those who try to cause disharmony using social media.
BJP targets govt, says orders passed to halt Chandi March
Former Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Prahlad Gunjal called out the Rajasthan government and alleged the orders were passed to ban Chandi March scheduled for March 22. He was quoted by India Today saying, “A huge ‘Chandi march’ will be held in the Kota North assembly constituency on Tuesday, therefore, Section 144 was imposed and ‘The Kashmir Files’ is just an excuse.”
He further added, “Earlier, a similar clause was invoked a day before the protest. Women and girls are being raped, and a minister terms Rajasthan as ‘the state of men’. This has hurt the self-esteem of women. They will proceed with the rally tomorrow. The government is so scared that Section 144 has been imposed. No power in the world can stop the ‘Chandi March’ tomorrow, whether the police resort to lathi-charge or arrest.”
The Kashmir Files
Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri’s film The Kashmir Files is based on the true incidents related to the exodus of the Kashmiri Pandits from the Kashmir valley. The film has attracted large crowds to the theatres and brought the plight of the Kashmiri Pandits to the mainstream. Several states, including Haryana, UP, Tripura, Goa and Gujarat, among others, have declared the film tax-free.
