Harpreet Bajwa By

CHANDIGARH:Gurmeet Ram Rahim, controversial chief of Dera Sacha Sauda (DSS), has yet again drawn the ire of Sikh community, this time for his dialogues, which are provocative in nature and appear to challenge the Sikhs, in a movie.

The Akal Takht, the supreme temporal body of Sikhs, has asked the Punjab government to ban the movie ‘MSG’ or ‘Messenger of God’, in which Rahim plays the lead, in the state as his dialogues seem to hurt the sentiments of Sikhs. The film is scheduled for an all-India release on January 16.

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) is likely to file a PIL in the Punjab and Haryana High Court in this regard. Various Sikh organisations have also called for a ban, as they believe the film could foment trouble in the state.

In the last couple of days, many people had been injured in clashes between Dera followers, known as ‘premis’, and Sikh radicals over the movie. There have been frequent clashes between the Sikhs and ‘premis’ since 2007, when Rahim was accused of dressing up like Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Guru of Sikhs.

Akal Takht Jathedar (high priest) Giani Gurbachan Singh said the movie should be banned across the country as it was bound to disturb the communal harmony in the country, especially in Punjab and Haryana. “We have banned the activities of the Dera, besides declaring Rahim a religious offender,” he said.

Taking strong exception to the film’s title, All India Sikh Students Federation (AISSF) president Karnail Singh Peer Mohammad said the AISSF had demanded a blanket ban on the movie’s screening. “The God’s envoy cannot be a criminal. He is facing rape and murder charges and has been booked by the CBI. His dialogues in the movie are controversial. “We are waiting for the SGPC to file the PIL in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. If they don’t do it, we will file the PIL next week,” he added.

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) is, however, moving cautiously in the matter. Party’s chief spokesman and state Education Minister Daljit Singh Cheema said, “We will wait for the film’s release. If we find anything objectionable in the movie, we will approach the Censor Board for a ban.”

The movie, funded by the Dera, is directed by Jeetu Arora. Rahim has also contributed to the storyline. Dera spokesperson Aditya Insan said, “It is a patriotic film made for a noble and social cause. It tells the youth not to take intoxicants, including drugs. It is not against any religion or community.” A Malayali actress is playing the lead opposite the Dera chief.