Jalandhar, May 13
Narinder Cinema went all khakhi today as some Sikh activists, who were protesting against screening of Hindi movie, ‘Jo Bole So Nihal’, turned unruly and started pelting stones at the cinema house and police officials deployed there as a preventive measure.
Four persons were injured in the
violence, while, 10 were arrested by the police for indulging in violence and for attacking police officials deputed at the place. Some windowpanes of the cinema house and vehicles parked in and around the cinema also got damaged in the stone pelting. Apart from arresting 10 protesters, the police has registered a case against 50 persons, who had allegedly indulged in violence at the place.
Despite a round of parleys with distributors and the cinema authorities before screening of the movie,
protesters, led by Punjab Youth Club Organisation chief Joginder Jogi, remained adamant and asserted that they would not allow the cinema management to screen the movie.
On a call given by Sikh organisations, including the Punjab Youth Club Organisation and various factions of the Sikh Students Federation, activists had started converging in front of the cinema house at around 7.30 a.m. Some handbills, opposing screening of the movie were distributed and subsequently, some protesters started tearing apart posters of the movie.
As soon as the police-organised talks between protesters and distributors failed, a group of protesters started throwing stones. The police retaliated by cane charging them. Some policemen were also attacked by protesters. Windowpanes of some nearby buildings were also damaged in the incident even as heavy deployment of the police made it possible for the cinema house management to carry on with the show despite unruly scenes.
Mr Rakesh Kaushal, SP, said a case had been registered under Sections 307, 160, 323, 427, and 148, 149 of the IPC.
HOSHIARPUR:
Activists of various Sikh religious and political organisations, led by Mr Harjinder Singh Dhami, president local Singh Sabha, Mr Paramjit Singh of Akhand Kirtani Jatha and Mr Narinder Singh of Sikh Study Circle, staged a dharna in Swarn theatre complex to oppose the screening of movie, “Jo Bole So Nihal”, which was released here today.
When some of the activists became violent, the police, led by DSP Kuldip Singh, forced them to vacate the complex. Meanwhile the special show of the film at 10 a.m. was screened.
NABHA (PATIALA):
Four Sikh youths, claiming to be the members of a religious outfit, today made an unsuccessful attempt to attack Balraaj Theatre here to protest against the screening of the controversial movie “Jo Bole So Nihal” released today.
The Sikh youths, who were travelling in a Gypsy, fled after the employees and the owners of the cinema challenged them to attack the cinema. DSP S.S. Boparai, said that no damage had been done to cinema house.
Meanwhile, another cinema house in this region, postponed the screening of movie “Jo Bole So Nihal” to avoid any problem.
Karnal:
Hundreds of Sikhs entered a local cinema house in the morning in which Sunny Deol’s controversial movie “Jo Bole So Nihaal” was being screened. No untoward incident was reported and the movie was screened throughout the day after cinema operator agreed to remove all objections put forward by Sikh organisations.
The movie that was released today had faced opposition from various Sikh organisations. Many Sikh organisations protested against screening of the movie in Karnal yesterday.
Meanwhile, Mr Navdeep Bansal, general secretary of the Haryana Cinema Operators Association, said cinema operators did not want to hurt the sentiments of any particular community and were ready to cooperate at all levels.
