Diljit Dosanjh’s ‘Satluj’, which details the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra during Punjab’s turbulent 1990s and has been taken off OTT, was at the centre of furious debate on Monday with the SGPC, political parties and Sikh bodies pushing for the release of the film and the actor-singer saying this was bound to happen and asked people to watch it wherever and however they can.SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami said the truth about the atrocities against Sikhs can never be suppressed.The film, which was stuck with the censors for more than three years, was released uncut on ZEE5 on Friday and removed on Sunday evening.The Honey Trehan-directed film, originally titled ‘Punjab ‘95’, features Dosanjh as Khalra, who was abducted in 1995 and never seen again. In 2005, four Punjab Police personnel were convicted for his abduction and murder and sentenced to seven years in prison. Two years later, the Punjab and Haryana high court enhanced their sentence to life imprisonment.Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami said the truth about the atrocities against Sikhs can never be suppressed.“Khalra did extraordinary work for the protection of human rights. Rather than being suppressed, such a film should be viewed with an open mind and thoughtfully considered. Attempts to conceal the atrocities committed against Sikhs would never succeed. In many of the cases involving Sikh youth who were killed and cremated as “unclaimed,” courts have now convicted and sentenced the police officials responsible. How can anyone ignore these judicial verdicts?” he asked.Speaking during an Instagram Live session from the US, Dosanjh says the ban on his film was inevitable, and he anticipated it.“ I had a feeling on Friday that something like this would happen. This was already on my mind. It is not something to be shocked about (the ban). I thought that it will be banned on Monday when the offices open,” Dosanjh said. The hard work done by the film’s team has reached people, Dosanjh said, encouraging people to share the film and watch it wherever and however they can. ZEE5, however, issued an appeal asking people not to support piracy.Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan questioned the removal of the film, asking the central government why it was “afraid of the truth.”“Preventing a true story from reaching the public is a betrayal of democracy. It is nothing but a deliberate attempt to suppress the truth,” Sandhwan said in a statement. AAP MP Malvinder Singh Kang said censorship becomes “its most dangerous weapon when a nation begins to fear its own history.”In 2023, the movie was scheduled to have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) but was removed from the line-up without any official statement from the organisers. It was slated for worldwide release on February 7, 2025, without any cuts, except in India. But that release did not happen either. The film is produced by Trehan, Abhishek Chaubey and Ronnie Screwvala, under the banners MacGuffin Pictures and RSVP. It also features Arjun Rampal, Kanwaljit Singh, Suvinder Vicky and Geetika Vidya Ohlyan in key roles.Punjab BJP chief Kewal Singh Dhillon said he was trying to ascertain the reasons behind the film’s removal. “I am finding out the reason. We are taking up the matter,” he said.Congress MP Dharamvira Gandhi said every person who values human life and respects human rights should strongly oppose the ban imposed on the film.“Silencing such a film cannot erase history or suppress the truth. It is the responsibility of every justice-loving individual to stand against this ban,” he said.Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal said that Punjab deserved to confront its past with honesty.“This is not mere censorship — it is an assault on our collective memory, truth, and freedom of expression. I strongly condemn this move,” he said.(With inputs from Agencies)