Udta Punjab: ‘Protests’ erupt near Ludhiana theatres, Shiv Sena members detained
Controversial Bollywood flick Udta Punjab released in theatres amidst heavy police presence on Friday. Cops were spotted at all the malls in the city after around 50 Shiv Sena members were detained for protesting against the release of the movie. This step was taken to avoid any untoward situation, but screenings of all shows went on peacefully.
Controversial Bollywood flick Udta Punjab released in theatres amidst heavy police presence on Friday. Cops were spotted at all the malls in the city after around 50 Shiv Sena members were detained for protesting against the release of the movie. This step was taken to avoid any untoward situation, but screenings of all shows went on peacefully.
At around 11 in the morning, a group of nearly 50 members of Shiv Sena Punjab led by chairman Rajeev Tandon reached Govardhan Mall near Jagraon Bridge and started raising slogans against the movie and its director stating that it ‘makes a mockery of Punjabis by claiming that 70% of the state population was addicted to drugs’.
Tandon said people should not watch the movie ‘as it did not portray the actual situation in the state and is an exaggeration’.
When protesters refused to budge, assistant commissioner of police (north) Ramneesh Chaudhary detained them, but they were later released. Yet another protest happened at Pavilion Mall near Fountain Chowk by Hindu Morcha Punjab in which at least 30 members raised slogans in front of the mall. Movie-goers faced a little inconvenience as they were not allowed to enter the mall from the main entrance. The protest here continued for at least an hour.
Varun Mehta, president of the association, said the film was a conspiracy to defame the youth of Punjab by claiming that 70% of them were addicts.
“We are against drugs in Punjab, but misleading those who are not residents of the state is objectionable. There is definitely a problem of drugs but that has to be fought together and not by creating a hype,” said Mehta. Later, protesters submitted a memorandum to additional deputy commissioner of police 1, Joginder Singh and lifted the agitation.