Mumbai, February 10: Stepping up protests against the screening of Shah Rukh Khan-starrer My Name is Khan, Shiv Sena activists today vandalised nine theatres in the eastern suburbs of Mumbai. Police arrested 54 Sainiks involved in the attacks on theatres in Mulund, Kanjurmarg and Ghatkopar and rounded up another 114 as a preventive measure.
To send the Sena a strong message, Chief Minister Ashok Chavan threatened to withdraw the security cover of Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray and leaders involved in the protests. This prompted Uddhav to put out a statement: “I am myself willing to return my security to you.”
Karan Johar, director and co-producer of the film, accompanied by a few exhibitors, met Mumbai Police Commissioner D Sivanandhan at his office this morning, seeking police protection from attacks. The police chief assured them that security would be provided at 63 theatres in the city where the movie is slated to be screened.
“I have given my promise to all exhibitors and distributors that they will screen the movie. We are standing by them and giving them complete security,” said Sivanandhan. “We have asked for five companies of the State Reserve Police Force to be deployed in each region to support our deployment. The theatres where the attacks took place did not even have advance bookings open.”
The attacks began with Sena activists vandalising Huma Adlabs in Kanjurmarg where they tore the movie screen. The Sainiks entered the theatre as members of the audience, sat in a morning show of the film 3 Idiots and then vandalised the screen.
“They bought tickets, sat inside the theatre and then tore a portion of the screen. We arrested them as they were leaving,” said DCP (Zone 7) Rajkumar Vhatkar.
In Mulund, Mehul theatre was targeted by the Sainiks. “The matinee show of a Marathi movie was in progress when around 15-20 protestors barged in and smashed window panes. They also entered the canteen and broke the furniture there,” said a theatre office-bearer. The attack, he said, came as a surprise since the decision to screen My Name is Khan is pending.
Shiv Sainiks also protested outside R Mall in Mulund which houses Big Cinemas, but confined their sloganeering to the road outside. In Ghatkopar’s Shreyas theatre, Sainiks reportedly broke a window but left the premises after warning the theatre manager to not screen the movie.
Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Himanshu Roy said “heavy frisking” will be conducted at theatres as there is “general fear that activists can come with small blades and vandalise property”. Policemen in plainclothes may also be deployed inside theatres, he said.
—Agencies