plea asking the court to reconsider lifting the ban

lifting the ban on the screening

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court SC ) today pulled up Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh while dismissing theiron ' Padmaavat ' in their states citing.The SC then directed the two states to implement its order from last Thursday allowing screening of film and asked them to take steps to maintain law and order.The 2 states had cited potential law and order issues during the screening of the controversial film. To that, the SC said the states themselves created trouble to begin with and then approached the apex court seeking a ban on the film.The movie is scheduled to release January 25.Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan yesterday moved the apex court seeking it modify its earlier orderof the film. They said that because maintaining law and order is their constitutional duty, prohibiting the screening of a film to prevent untoward incidents is also part of that same duty.Last Thursday, the apex court lifted a ban on the film by Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. At the time, it said it is the various governments' job to deal with any potential law and order issues arising from the release of the film. That isn't the job of the court, it said.The SC even restrained other states from issuing any order to prohibit the screening of the film.The producers and the director of the film petitioned the SC against the ban.Earlier, the four states argued that the censor board, while clearing a film, scrutinised filmmaking and ethical aspects but state governments had to factor in possible law and order challenges arising from volatile social dynamics.The top court when clearing the film last Thursday spoke at some length about the sanctity and inviolability of the Right to Freedom of Speech and Expression, which it reminded everyone is a constitutionally guaranteed right.On Friday, a day after it cleared the film, the SC was again petitioned against its screening. It refused to hear the petition.Several fringe groups oppose 'Padmaavat' alleging it distorts history or shows the Rajput community in bad light. Despite the censor board clearing the film's release, the BJP-ruled states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh banned its screening.