A file photo of West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee.

KOLKATA: A senior BJP leader from Haryana - who had earlier offered a Rs 10-crore bounty on ' Padmavati ' actor Deepika Padukone and director Sanjay Leela Bhansali - has issued a not-so-veiled threat to Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee for supporting the film, comparing her to a "demonic woman like Shurpanakha" who deserved to be treated in similar fashion. The comments drew sharp criticism from Trinamool Congress and even the Bengal BJP.

In the Ramayana, Shurpanakha was Ravana's sister, whom Lakshman had famously "taught a lesson" by chopping off her nose.

On Saturday, senior BJP leader Suraj Pal Amu said: "Demonic women should be treated like what Ram's second brother Lakshman did to Shurpanakha. Mamataji should not forget that." And while he was careful to not say her nose should be cut, he did gesticulate in a manner that suggested a nose being chopped off.

The Bengal CM had said on Friday that the makers of 'Padmavati' were welcome to screen the film in Bengal. Banerjee had also said that the controversy over the film was a "calculated plan" to curb freedom of expression.

