Prevent release of ‘divisive’ film based on 2020 Delhi riots, Abhishek Singhvi urges EC

Congress accuses BJP of influencing voters with divisive film ahead of Delhi election, urges EC to intervene.

The Congress on Sunday (January 26, 2025) accused the BJP of trying to “divide society and influence voters” by promoting a film based on the 2020 north-east Delhi riots, which is set to release three days ahead of the February 5 Assembly election.

Addressing a press conference, senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member Abhishek Manu Singhvi urged the Election Commission of India (EC) to take immediate action to prevent the release of ‘2020 Delhi’.

He said the EC should follow the precedence set during the 2019 general election when the commission stalled the release of a biopic on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The trailer of ‘2020 Delhi’ was released earlier last week.

Mr. Singhvi called the film “a directly focussed, distorted, debased narrative against a particular religious community and a brazen attempt to disturb public tranquillity”.

“Why do you release a film like this two days before the election? What is the purpose of its coincidental clash? This has become a new technique of the BJP during elections,” he added.

He also claimed that Mr. Modi’s proposed visit to the Maha Kumbh on the day of the election “is not a coincidence”.