Sec 144 imposed in Kota 'to maintain law, order' in view of 'Kashmir Files' screening; BJP leader slams prohibitory orders

Kota (Rajasthan) [India], March 21 (ANI): In view of maintaining law and order during the screening of the recently-released film 'The Kashmir Files', authorities in Rajasthan's Kota have imposed Section 144 in the city from March 22 to April 21.
"Section 144 will be imposed in Kota from tomorrow, March 22, till April 21, in view of maintaining law & order with the screening of 'The Kashmir Files'," said Kota District Collector & District Magistrate via a notification.
According to the order, there should be no crowd gathering for watching the movie "The Kashmir Files". The upcoming festival in the district should be conducted in a ceremonial manner and people should not take baths in rivers including canals.
Kota North ex-MLA from BJP, Prahlad Gunjal, on the order of imposing Section 144, targeted the government and said, "A huge 'Chandi march' will be taken out in the Kota North assembly constituency on Tuesday, therefore Section 144 was imposed and 'The Kashmir Files' is just an excuse."
He added, "Earlier also a similar clause has been invoked a day before the protest. Women and girls are being raped and a minister terms Rajasthan as 'the state of men'. This has hurt the self-esteem of women, they will proceed with the rally tomorrow."
"The government is so scared that Section 144 has been imposed. No power in the world can stop the 'Chandi March' tomorrow, whether the police resort to lathi-charge or arrest," stated Gunjal.
The movie, which had released in theatres on March 11, stars Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty, Pallavi Joshi, Darshan Kumaar, and others.
"The Kashmir Files" has been declared tax-free in Madya Pradesh, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Tripura, Goa, Uttarakhand among other states.
The movie revolves around the genocide of Kashmiri Pandits in 1990 and has been directed by Vivek Agnihotri, known for films like 'Tashkent Files', 'Hate Story' and 'Buddha in a Traffic Jam'. (ANI)