Immolation bid, violence mar special screening in UP
LUCKNOW/KANPUR/ALIGARH: Amid violence and a self-immolation bid, the special screening of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat was hastily cancelled in most of the theatres and multiplexes across Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday.
At some places, police had to resort to mild lathi charge to disperse protestors.
In Lucknow, a youth made a self-immolation bid outside Wave multiplex to protest against the film. Soon after the incident, the multiplex put up notices assuring protestors of their decision to not screen the film. Police arrested five people, including some Lucknow University students, for vandalism at Inox, another mall in Gomti Nagar.
Moreover, police resorted to cane charge when hundreds of youth gathered outside Gomti Nagar police station demanding release of the arrested persons, including Anurag Tripathi, the Lucknow University student who had attempted self immolation.
After this, majority of malls and theatres cancelled the special screening of the film that was planned ahead of its Thursday release.
General secretary of UP Cinema Owners and Exhibitors Association, Ashish Agarwal said in some malls, the special screening was held under tight security.
In Meerut, protesters from the Bajrang Dal, Hindu Sena and the lesser-known Singh Sena protested outside a prominent mall, while in Aligarh, the Akhil Bharatiya Kshatriya Mahasabha took out a rally to warn of a “big agitation” if the film was released in the district.
“Be prepared for an agitation if the film is screened,” said Shailendra Pal Singh, district chief of the Kshatriya Mahasabha.
In Etawah, a vigilante group that goes by the name of Gau Rakshak Dal, along with Hindu Yuva Vahini activists, went on a rampage and resorted to violence. Two people were injured in brick batting and the police arrested eight protesters.
In Kanpur, the police identified several youth for inciting others to damage the property in the city’s multiplexes and were carrying out raids to arrest them.