Noida: After R-Day lull, Karki Sena to resume protest on Saturday

Patron of Karni Sena Lokendra Singh Kalvi said that the group will target cinemas in Mumbai and Delhi-NCR that are screening the Sanjay Leela Bhansali film

Shri Karni Sena is going to resume its protest on Saturday at theatres which are screening Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s period piece Padmaavat. Without committing whether it will be a peaceful protest or involve violence, the patron and founder of Karni Sena said that the group had decided not to stage any protest against the movie on Republic Day but will target around 18 theaters in Delhi-NCR from Saturday onwards.

Gautam Budh Nagar police chief Love Kumar said that the police deployment outside theatres screening Padmaavat will continue. (Virendra Singh Gosain/HT PHOTO)

“We had decided that on the occasion of Republic Day we will not stage any protest against the release of Padmaavat. However, from Saturday onwards, we will resume our protest against the movie. We held a meeting with our workers to discuss the strategy. I will reach Delhi on Saturday and will be holding a meeting with our people to finalise our next move. We would like to peacefully convince people and theatre owners to not see and screen the movie, but I can’t divulge much about our future strategy,” Lokendra Singh Kalvi, patron and founder, Karni Sena, said.

The Karni Sena leader has claimed that they will be targeting big screens in Mumbai and around 18 theatres in Delhi-NCR where the movie is being screened. “There are around 18 theatres where Padmaavat is being screened. We will urge people to not watch the movie. I accept that I failed to convince movie goers to refrain from watching the film, but we have not given up. From Saturday onwards, our protest will be on in full swing,” Kalvi said.

However, Gautam Budh Nagar police chief Love Kumar said that no fringe element will be allowed to disturb law and order in the district. “Our police deployment outside theatres screening the Padmaavat will continue in the weekend as well. We are fully prepared to handle any person or group who tries to disturb law and order in the area. Strictest action will be taken against trouble makers,” Kumar said.

Read I Noida: Karni Sena plans to urge theatres, people to shun Padmaavat

Kalvi has also claimed that certain people are trying to defame Karni Sena by tying it to the Gurgaon incident where a school bus carrying children was pelted with stones by a group of men. “Our men didn’t attack the school bus (in Gurgaon) and there is a certain section which trying to malign our image. Forget being part of our group, the people arrested in connection with that incident are not even Rajputs,” Kalvi said.

Recently, Noida police had registered a case against 200 unidentified persons for vandalising the toll plaza at Delhi-Noida-Delhi flyover on January 21. Police have, so far, arrested 16 persons for creating a ruckus at the toll plaza. Police is going through the CCTV footage to identify these persons.