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Shiv Sainiks strike in Delhi, extinguish Fire

A day after the attack by Shiv Sainiks at two theatres in Bombay showing the movie Fire, a mob ransacked Regal cinema in New Delhi which was running the award-winning movie.

The mob of about 20 Shiv Sainiks, including women, stormed the cinema hall in the upmarket Connaught Place at about 1230 hours and damaged the booking counter, broke glass panes, smashed food-stalls and brought down posters and billboards. They were demanding that the movie be taken off as it showed some ''vulgar scenes'' dealing with the issue of lesbianism.

The noon show, which had just started when the attack occurred, continued till the end. However, subsequent shows were taken off.

Today was the last day of the show. Eye-witnesses said the mob, shouting slogans against the movie, first tried to distract the people from going in to see the movie. However, they resorted to violence when they failed to convince the people.

According to the eye-witnesses, the entire operation was carried out in barely 15 minutes and before the police came, the crowd dispersed. They said one person was taken into custody. However, the police did not confirm any arrest.

No official of the cinema hall was available for comment.

The Connaught Place police said a case had been registered under Sections 147,148 and 149 of the IPC relating to rioting and 427 which relates to damage to property.

The movie has been taken off and a new movie will run from tomorrow, an employee of the cinema hall said. A large number of people who had booked tickets for subsequent shows, were given refund.

The movie is also running in two other cinema halls in the capital but it was not immediately known whether they had suspended the shows following the attack on Regal.

Yesterday, Sena activists barged into Cinemax and New Empire theatres in Bombay and used force to stop the screening of the film directed by Deepa Mehta. The attack evoked strong protests all over the country and was also taken up by members of Parliament including Rajya Sabha member Shabana Azmi who stars in the film.

UNI

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