M A I N   N E W S

2-week ban on Water shooting
Unit starts packing up

VARANASI, Feb 7 (PTI) — The controversy over Deepa Mehta’s film “Water” took a new turn today when the UP Government today clamped a two-week ban on its shooting citing “deteriorating” law and order in the city and advised the film unit to leave Varanasi, capping nearly two weeks of wrangling and violent protests spearheaded by the Sangh Parivar against the venture.

Chief Minister Ram Prakash Gupta told reporters in Lucknow that the film unit had been advised to pack up and leave Varanasi and added resumption of the shooting was “impossible.”

He said the UP Government had apprised Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee of the developments in Varanasi.

The ban order was issued by District Magistrate Alok Kumar who said there was possibility of violence had the shooting of the film continued.

Mr Kumar, however, said a review of the order, valid till February 22, was possible if law and order improved in the city.

“I am heart-broken,” Mehta told PTI after receiving the ban order during a sit-in by the film unit she led in front of the District Magistrate’s residence here.

A film crew member said Deepa Mehta was contemplating seeking legal opinion on the District Magistrate’s ban.

The ban came a day after a young Shiv Sena activist attempted to commit suicide and activists of the Kashi Sanskriti Raksha Sangharsh Samiti pelted stones during the first location shooting of “Water” dubbed by the Sangh Parivar outfits as “anti-Hindu.”

Mr Gupta said the unit of “Water” had been advised to leave Varanasi because the situation in Varanasi was “deteriorating gradually” and shooting might not be possible in the face of ‘’mounting stiff opposition.’’

He said the state government’s only concern was the maintenance of law and order in Varanasi.

Shabana Azmi, a member of the Rajya Sabha, said “law and order was just an excuse” made by the District Magistrate to stop shooting as “only a handful of goondas were creating problems and people of Varanasi had nothing to do with the protest.”

The District Magistrate, in his order, said he had to ban the shooting without giving a hearing to the film unit due to “paucity” of time.

Deepa Mehta however, asserted she would make ‘Water’ .

“We have lost only a small battle. The war is ours and we are determined to win it,” Mehta, along with her lead actresses Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das, said in a joint statement here.

Meanwhile the film unit of ‘Water’ tonight began packing up to leave the city after the local administration imposed a two week ban on in shooting.

“We have no choice but to leave. It has been an expensive and nasty experience,” the director’s brother Dilip Mehta told PTI even as scores

of activists of BJP, its mahila morcha and Shiv Sena staged a noisy demonstration demanding that the film crew immediately leave the city.

“So many people have come from different parts of the country and the world. They all have to be sent back. We have begun the process of exodus,” Mehta said without indicating when they would leave the city.

Mehta said it was impossible to continue staying in the city “unless we find a generous and magnanimous producer” as the film was already losing heavily because of disruption in shooting schedule.

The unit has reportedly lost a whopping us $ 600,000 (approximately Rs 2.6 crores) due to the cancellation of the shooting.

976 candidates left in fray
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Feb 7 — As many as 976 candidates will try their luck in the 90 constituencies of the Haryana Assembly in the ensuing elections after 218 candidates withdrew their nominations after the expiry of the last date for withdrawals.

This number has decreased as compared to the 1996 elections when 2,608 candidates were in the fray.

The highest number of candidates are in Hisar where the election authorities will have to put two electronic voting machines as one machine can accommodate only 16 names. As many as 28 are contesting the elections from here.

The lowest number of candidates (five) are in Nilokheri, Guhla and Uchana Kalan.

On the last date of withdrawal,rebels of various parties withdrew their nominations in several constituencies.

In Ambala City while all Congress rebels withdrew their nominations, a BJP rebel, Mr Nirmal Kumar Vij, is there to take on the official candidate, Mrs Veena Chhibber. Another prominent BJP leader, Mr Shiv Prasad, a former MLA, who had filed his papers as an Independent, today withdrew in favour of Mrs Chhibber. Mr Sukhdev Singh Gobindgarh, President of the Haryana unit of the SAD also withdrew his nomination.

In Naraingarh, a former Haryana minister, Mr Raj Kumar Saini, will contest as an Independent following the denial of the INLD ticket.

A former INLD MLA, Mr Ramji Lal, will be a source of trouble for the party’s official nominee, Mr Balwant Singh, in Sadhaura.

In Jagadhari, a Congress rebel, Mr Bal Krishan, will contest as an Independent. A former member of the Chautala ministry, Mr Bhim Sain Mehta, will contest from Indri as an Independent to oppose Mr Bal Krishan of the INLD.

Two Congress rebels, Mr Jai Prakash Gupta and Mr Suresh Kumar, will take on the party nominee, Mr Suresh Kumar, in Karnal.

In Panipat the BJP nominee, Mr Manohar Lal, will face an INLD rebel, Mr Dharam Pal Gupta, and a former minister in the Chautala government, Mr Om Prakash Jain.

Vajpayee to address rally at Panipat
Tribune News Service

PANIPAT, Feb 7 — The Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, will address an election meeting on February 11 at Panipat. This was announced by the general secretary of the BJP, Mr Narender Modi, addressing party workers here today. The venue for PM’s Panipat rally will be decided soon.