The screening of Kangana Ranaut’s film “Emergency” across Punjab was cancelled following protests by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and several Sikh organizations along with Congress leaders, who called for a ban on the film. Ranaut claimed this was “complete harassment of art and the artist”. The film, co-produced by Ranaut, who is also a BJP MP, was released on Friday. The SGPC protested outside cinemas, multiplexes and malls across the state, leading to all theatres deciding not to screen the film. The SGPC chief secretary welcomed the decision. PVR Cinemas in Amritsar also cancelled the scheduled shows due to the protests. The Amritsar police confirmed that the movie was not being screened. The SGPC accused the AAP government of ignoring Sikh issues, referring to the SGPC president’s letter to the Chief Minister demanding a ban on the movie. However, the government official stated that the state does not have a policy on banning movies, and the Chief Minister has not issued any orders.

The official stated that the Congress leader Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa had called for a ban on the movie, citing the fragile law and order situation in the state and urging the AAP government to consider a complete ban. In response, Ranaut claimed that this was harassment of art and the artist, and that reports from many cities in Punjab showed people were not allowing the film “Emergency” to be screened. Ranaut expressed respect for all religions and noted her connection to the Sikh religion from her time in Chandigarh, stating that the calls for a ban were a lie and propaganda aimed at tarnishing her image and harming her film.