PK row: Bajrang Dal activists vandalise theatres in Odisha

Odisha Sun Times Bureau:
Bhubaneswar, Dec 30:

Aamir Khan-starrer ‘PK’ today bore the brunt of irate Bajrang Dal activists in Odisha as the members of Hindu outfit stooped down to vandalism accused it of hurting religious sentiments.

The enraged protestors shouted slogans, broke the glass counters, pulled down the posters, and tore off before setting them afire at cinema halls—Keshari and Sriya— in Odisha capital.

Scores of Bajrang Dal activists assembled in front of Keshari hall in Kharavel Nagar area and shouted slogans to stop screening of the movie. After a while, they pulled down the posters and set them on fire.

‘‘The movie insults the Hindu gods and goddesses. It hurts the religious sentiments and sanatan dharma. The movie has been funded by Dubai and Pakistan. Besides, the movie has been premiered in Dubai,’’ an activist alleged.

‘‘We are living in a culturally diverse country. We respect all religions alike. The movie doesn’t depict anything that hurts any religion,’’ said an employee of Keshari hall.

As soon as the protest escalated, police reached the Keshari hall to control the situation. However, the activists fled the scene fearing police action. Soon after, they shifted their protest venue to movie complex under Kharavel Nagar police station limits. Similar scenes were witnessed at Sriya hall as the raiders descended at the hall smashing glass panes at ticket windows to smithereens and tearing down posters.

According to a media reports, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy on Tuesday was quoted saying, “a complaint will go soon to initiate action under PMLA on Aamir Khan & co for laundering terrorist finance.”

The Raju Hirani-directed PK had received a great response at the box-office with the film revenue exceeding over Rs 200 crore across the country in the first week of its release.