Fresh off its theatrical debut on February 6, ‘Godaan’ finds itself at the center of a political maelstrom. Congress leaders are baying for a ban, branding the film a purveyor of societal discord and prejudice. Enter VHP’s Vinod Bansal, who has unleashed a scathing rebuke, advising Congress to seek forgiveness for its own legacy of violence against Hindu sentiments.
Bansal zeroed in on the infamous 1966 Boat Club firing. ‘On November 7, amid Indira Gandhi’s rule, a huge gathering of cow worshippers faced lethal force near Parliament. Bullets claimed countless lives, including saints and sacred cows—yet Congress offers no atonement,’ he thundered. Reports of covert killings added fuel to his narrative of systemic persecution.
Tying it to assaults on Ram devotees, Bansal labeled Congress’s stance on ‘Godaan’ as blatant double standards. ‘Demand bans on art, but ignore your bloodstained history? Apologize first,’ he retorted. His vision extends to policy: a complete halt to cow slaughter across India, with Parliament ensuring cows regain their revered status.
The backlash includes Muslim clergy and Congress figures like Anshu Awasthi and Poonam Pandit from Uttar Pradesh. Behind the lens is director Amit Prajapati, backed by producers Vinod Kumar Chaudhary, Parul Chaudhary, and Chetan Goswami. This showdown underscores enduring tensions between free expression, historical memory, and cultural reverence, leaving audiences to ponder where the line is drawn.