Padmavati: Please safeguard history, Udaipur royal writes to PM

Agencies
November 12, 2017

Mewar, Nov 12: MK Vishvaraj Singh, a royal member of Udaipur`s Mewar, penned a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Union Ministers, Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chief Prasoon Joshi and others, requesting them to withhold the certification and release of the Sanjay Leela Bhansali directorial 'Padmavati'.

Information and Broadcasting minister Smriti Irani, Human Resource and Development Minister Prakash Javadekar, Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and Superintendents of Police were also mentioned in the recipient list.

"You are requested not to certify or permit the release of the film in its present form," Singh urged, adding, "It is the responsibility of the Government to safeguard the history of our country and the dignity of its citizens".

Bhansali, in a recent video, assured that the magnum opus is based on reliable sources and is a tribute to the valor of the Rajput queen. However, Singh raised objections that the film is about his family and a chapter in the history of Mewar, but no one approached them to verify the facts or get permission.

He further said that he doubts the accuracy of historical facts in `Padmavati` as it is reportedly based on Padmawat, an imagery poetry of the Sufi poet which also includes thinking and talking parrots. He pointed out that the movie-makers have not come up with a "well established and accepted historical source" and such errors could not be pointed out if the screening is done now.

On the argument that one cannot judge a film until it has been seen, Singh said the first song `Ghoomar` alone displays an incorrect portrayal of Rani Padmavati.

"If the film professes to be history and its maker goes on record to claim that he has kept in mind cultural sensitivities, it is an artistic and historical fraud to portray an incorrectly attired courtesan-like painted doll in the song as the very `queen` the film purports to pay obeisance to," he wrote.

The Royal member raised concerns about the effect of the movie on the future generation, who will see a distorted history of Mewar."Allowing our history and culture to be misrepresented in such a manner before the public does make one question the ability and intentions of the Government," he said.

Singh argued that misleading the public and hurting the sentiments of a community is a crime under Indian constitution, but the entire situation has only provided free publicity to the makers.

Lastly, Singh said, "allowing commercial interests to override the sanctity of national pride and heritage would be a failure on the part of the Government and will not behove well for times to come".

The letter came hours after Queen Mayuri Singh of Bundi came out in support of Bhansali and said "let the movie release first".

The period drama starring Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh, and Shahid Kapoor has been facing protests from various communal groups, including Shree Rajput Karni Sena, for allegedly tampering with historical facts. The Karni Sena, which demolished the sets of the movie in Jaipur and also thrashed Bhansali, last month, again, warned the director that he would face consequences if the movie distorted historical facts. The movie is slated to hit the theatres on December 1.

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News Network
December 2,2025

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Bengaluru: 'Nati koli saaru' (country chicken curry) considered one of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s favourites along with steaming hot idlis was on the breakfast menu at Deputy CM D K Shivakumar’s residence on Tuesday, according to official sources.

The spread also included 'nati koli' fry, vada and pongal, among other items, they said.

In an apparent show of unity, Siddaramaiah visited Shivakumar’s residence for breakfast, just days after the two leaders shared a meal amid a simmering power tussle in the state Congress.

Siddaramaiah drove to the Deputy CM’s residence in Sadashivanagar, where he was received by Shivakumar and his brother D K Suresh, who is a former Congress MP.

Suresh and Kunigal MLA H D Ranganath, a relative of Shivakumar, joined them for breakfast, which featured a mix of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes.

Speaking to reporters later, Siddaramaiah said Shivakumar had invited him during his visit to the CM’s residence for breakfast on Saturday.

Asked about the difference between the two meals, the chief minister said, "At his (Shivakumar’s) house it was non-veg, while at my house it was veg. He is a vegetarian, I am a non-vegetarian. I had not prepared non-veg. I told DK to get chicken from the village as you won’t get the original in Bengaluru."

Shivakumar said he had initially invited Siddaramaiah to his residence, but the CM had suggested visiting his place first and reciprocating later. "It was a vegetarian breakfast at the CM’s house on Saturday," he noted.

"Today, I invited him (the CM) to my house. He enjoyed the breakfast, which had his Mysuru taste," Shivakumar added. At this point, Siddaramaiah remarked that Shivakumar’s wife is also from Mysuru.

Saturday’s breakfast at Siddaramaiah’s official residence, held as part of efforts by the Congress high command to ease tensions in the leadership dispute between the two, reportedly included idlis and sambar, according to official sources.

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News Network
November 22,2025

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The Israeli regime’s forces have killed two Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip every day since the ceasefire began in early October, UNICEF has warned.

The UN children’s agency said on Friday that Israeli forces continue to attack Palestinians in Gaza even though the agreement was meant to stop the killing.

“Since 11 October, while the ceasefire has been in effect, at least 67 children have been killed in conflict-related incidents in the Gaza Strip. Dozens more have been injured. That is an average of almost two children killed every day since the ceasefire took effect,” UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Pires said in Geneva, reminding that each number in the statistics represents a child whose life had ended violently.

“These are not statistics,” he said. “Each child had a story, a family, and a future that was stolen from them.”

Data from Palestinian factions, human rights groups, and government bodies recorded since the US-brokered ceasefire deal went into effect on October 10 show that Israeli forces have carried out numerous attacks, each constituting a separate ceasefire violation.

UNICEF teams say they repeatedly continue to witness heart-wrenching scenes of fearful Palestinian children sleeping outdoors with amputated limbs, while others live as orphans in flooded, makeshift shelters.

“I saw this myself in August. There is no safe place for them. The world cannot normalize their suffering,” Pires said, lamenting that the UN could “do a lot more if the aid that is really needed was entering faster.”

The UNICEF spokesperson warned that with the advent of winter, the risks for hundreds of thousands of displaced children will increase.

He warned, “The stakes are incredibly high” for children as winter acts as a threat multiplier, where children have no heating, no insulation, and few blankets. He said respiratory infections rise.

“Too many children have already paid the highest price,” Pires said. “Too many are still paying it, even under a ceasefire. The world promised them it would stop and that we would protect them.”

“Now we must act like it,” the UNICEF spokesperson added.

Since the Israeli regime launched its genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza in October 2023, it has killed nearly 70,000 people in the territory, most of them women and children, and injured over 170,000 more, while reducing most of the structures in the enclave to rubble.

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News Network
December 2,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 2: Mangaluru International Airport responded to a medical emergency late on Monday night. Air India Express flight IX 522, travelling from Riyadh to Thiruvananthapuram, was diverted to Mangaluru Airport after a passenger in his late 30s experienced a medical emergency on board.

The Airport’s Operations Control Centre received an alert regarding the passenger’s health condition. The airport activated its emergency response protocol, mobilising the airport medical team and coordinating with stakeholders including CISF, immigration, and customs. 

Upon landing, airport medical personnel attended to the passenger, assessed his condition, and arranged to shift him to a local tertiary-care hospital for further treatment. The passenger’s relatives accompanied the passenger, who incidentally received necessary medical care on board, which helped stabilise the situation.

Following the handling of the emergency, the flight departed for Thiruvananthapuram at 2:05 am on Tuesday.

"We appreciate the cooperation of all parties involved, and this incident reaffirms our ongoing commitment to prioritising passenger safety and readiness to respond to unforeseen emergencies with professionalism and care," the Airport spokesperson said. 

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