AN Indian film that features a self-styled spiritual leader in jewel-studded costume riding motorbikes and sending the bad guys flying has prompted the chief of the country’s censor panel to quit, citing government interference.

    Other members of the panel quit Friday, in support of Leela Samson’s resignation after an appeals tribunal reversed censors’ decision to keep the film, “MSG: The Messenger of God,” out of theaters as being too promotional.

    “There is interference, there is coercion,” said Samson, adding that the appeals tribunal, whose decisions usually take a month, had cleared “MSG” within 24 hours.

    However, the government, which runs the censorship and appeals process, did not interfere, said Rajyavardhan Rathore, India’s junior minister for information and broadcasting.

    The imbroglio has delayed the release of “MSG,” which stars Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the 47-year-old leader of the Dera Sacha Sauda sect, beyond its originally set date of Friday.

    But far from being unsuitable, say the filmmakers, “MSG” fights alcoholism and drug addiction, and extols the virtues of celibacy and a vegetarian diet.

    The movie’s trailer, which has racked up more than 2 million views on YouTube, shows Ram Rahim Singh glaring at evildoers before scattering them with his fists. (SD-Agencies)