Legal notice sent to producers of ‘Emergency’ starring actor-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut for misrepresenting Sikh community

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), an organization responsible for the management of gurdwaras in India on Aug 28 sent a legal notice to the producers of the film “Emergency” movie starring Kangana Ranaut, actor and Mandi MP for allegedly “misrepresenting the character and history of Sikh” community.

To make the matters worse, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed before the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking a ban on the release of the movie.

Two Sikh community members have filed the PIL in the High Court alleging that the trailer depicts distorted historical facts.

The duo in their petition have expressed apprehensions that the movie promotes “hatred towards the Sikh community” and “deliberately misrepresents” the character of Sikhs and creates an “anti-Sikh narrative”.

“The bare perusal of the trailer would reveal the fact that people from the Sikh Community are firing indiscriminately at people of Hindu community due to religious discrimination, by stopping a bus”, the petition claimed.

“It is an attempt to destroy the social fabric of Punjab,” it added.

Emergency, slated to hit the screens in September, is written, directed, and produced by Ranaut. The trailer of the political drama based on life of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was released on Aug 14 on social media platforms. The film is expected to hit the screens on September 6.

The trailer according to PIL further shows “Sant ji (Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale)” as “striking a deal and promising the Congress party leaders to secure votes…in the general elections”, the petitioners have submitted.

They allege that this episode is regardless of historical basis and is simply a “gimmick” to defame the Sikh community and its religious institutions.

Claiming that the movie has full potential to “destroy the social fabric of the entire nation”, particularly Punjab, the petitioners have sought directions to the Centre and Central Board of Film Certification to cancel the certificate issued to it for release.

It also seeks directions to the Punjab police chief to register an FIR under BNS (Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita), 2023, and the Cinematograph Act, against Ranaut, and others associated with the film.

Meanwhile, SGPC’s legal adviser advocate Amanbir Singh Siali served a legal notice asking the makers of the film to remove scenes showing anti-Sikh sentiments. The notice also sought the withdrawal of the trailer and a written apology to the Sikh community.

Quoting a dialogue from the trailer, ‘Tohadi party nu vote chahide ne ate sanu chahida hai Khalistan (Your party need votes and what we want is Khalistan’), the SGPC said, “These are visuals in which some characters in Sikh attire are shown firing at people with assault rifles”.

The notice claimed that no evidence or record proves that Bhindranwale ever uttered such words to anyone, nor are there any such documented conversations in the entire history of the Sikh religion.

The SGPC notice said the film would prove a material instrument to hurt Sikh sentiments and provide a wrong lesson about Sikhism. “The film shows “dark days” in the history of Sikhism, not only in Punjab but throughout the world,” it said.

“The portion mentioned above in the trailer is highly objectionable as it portrays the character of Sikhs in the wrong way as separatists, which is false, frivolous, and false. Sant Jarnail Singh and no one from the Sikh community ever demanded Khalistan. It is deliberately intentional character assassination of Sikhs for creating an anti-Sikh narrative,” the notice said.

“The film…is very dangerous for the unity of the citizens, also between the different religions in the country. It is highly objectionable being derogatory towards the Sikh community and you are fully liable and responsible for this heinous offense of trying to create hatred towards the Sikh community,” read the legal notice added, according to The Indian Express.

SGPC secretary Partap Singh said after the release of the trailer of the film, many anti-Sikh scenes had come to light, deeply hurting the sentiments of the Sikh community.

“An attempt has been made to show Sikhs as terrorists and separatists, which is unacceptable and far from the truth,” he said in a statement.

The Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs, and SGPC demanded an immediate ban on the film on August 21.