Saffron activists protest against release of Shah Rukh Khan’s 'Pathaan' in Karnataka

News Network

January 25, 2023

Bengaluru, Jan 25: Supporters of Vishwa Hindu Parishad in Karnataka protested against the release of Shah Rukh Khan’s newly-released movie Pathaan. Several supporters came out on streets with banners and posters demanding a boycott of the film. This comes hours after the VHP spokesperson earlier in the day said they will not oppose the film “for the time being”.

“Keeping our earlier objections in mind, changes made in the film are correct. After watching the film, if we find anything objectionable, then we'll reconsider opposing the film,” VHP spokesperson Shriraj Nair said.

On Tuesday, the VHP’s Gujarat unit had also withdrawn its protest against the film expressing satisfaction over removal of “objectionable” contents from the film.

The film came under fire by the right wing groups for featuring actor Deepika Padukone in a saffron bikini in the song ‘Besharam Rang’. Several leaders, including from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, had sought a ban on the film, which is scheduled to release on Wednesday.

The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has revised the "obscene song" and "lewd words" in the film and hence the right-wing groups will no longer protest against its release, the Gujarat VHP's secretary Ashok Raval said in a statement.

Talking to news agency PTI, Raval claimed that in its recent circular, the censor board has made 40 to 45 corrections regarding songs, colour and clothes, which resolve the issues and hence, they no longer need to protest.

The right-wing groups had earlier threatened to stop the release of the film in Gujarat, while the state government had assured police protection to theatres following a representation made by multiplex owners.

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‘This is how it began in Gujarat’: Modi outlines BJP’s political ambitions in Kerala

News Network

January 23,2026

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his visit to Thiruvananthapuram on Friday, January 23, indicated that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is aiming to expand its political footprint in Kerala ahead of the Assembly elections scheduled in the coming months.

Speaking at a BJP-organised public meeting, Modi drew parallels between the party’s early electoral gains in Gujarat and its recent victory in the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation. The civic body win, which ended decades of Left control, was cited by the Prime Minister as a possible starting point for the party’s broader ambitions in the state.

Recalling BJP’s political trajectory in Gujarat, Modi said the party was largely insignificant before 1987 and received little media attention. He pointed out that the BJP’s first major breakthrough came with its victory in the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation that year.

“Just as our journey in Gujarat began with one city, Kerala’s journey has also started with a single city,” Modi said, suggesting that the party’s municipal-level success could translate into wider electoral acceptance.

The Prime Minister alleged that successive governments led by the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the United Democratic Front (UDF) had failed to adequately develop Thiruvananthapuram. He accused both fronts of corruption and neglect, claiming that basic infrastructure and facilities were denied to the capital city for decades.

According to Modi, the BJP’s control of the civic body represents a shift driven by public dissatisfaction with the existing political alternatives. He asserted that the BJP administration in Thiruvananthapuram had begun working towards development, though no specific details or timelines were outlined.

Addressing the gathering at Putharikandam Maidan, Modi said the BJP intended to project Thiruvananthapuram as a “model city,” reiterating his party’s commitment to governance-led change.

The Prime Minister’s visit to Kerala also included the inauguration of several development projects and the flagging off of new train services, as the BJP intensifies its political outreach in the poll-bound state.

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