Some parts of the country have witnessed protests against the screening of Shah Rukh Khan’s Dilwale and a Mangaluru based activist received online threats of molestation and rape after she made a complaint against the Bajrang Dal workers who led these protests and stopped the screening of the movie.
On Monday, an FIR was filed against Sharan Pumpwell, the state convener of Bajrang Dal in the Mangaluru North police station for creating a ‘climate of fear’ among the cinema hall owners and the common public. Criminal trespassing, criminal intimidation and some other sections are used for filing the case.
Since then, Vidya Dinker has received various online threats on her social media accounts which pertain to molestation and rape. Vidya has said that she will be filing complaint against these online threats on Thursday.
Bajrang Dal workers protested against the screening of SRK’s movie as they were upset with his comments on “growing intolerance” in the country. They were also demanding ban on Aamir Khan’s movie citing similar reasons.
Vidya said, “I heard a few people, who had booked tickets for Shah Rukh’s Dilwale, complain that when they went to the theatre on Sunday evening theatre owners offered a refund as the movie would not be screened.”
She further added, “I was told by a theatre owner that on Sunday right-wing activists came to the theatre asking that the 4 pm to 7 pm screening that was mid-way be stopped. However, the right-wing activists agreed let the ongoing show get over and cancel screening thereafter.”
She waited till Tuesday for the screening of movie to start but she was shocked when the owners told her that they are so afraid that they won’t be screening the movie. She said, “The complete fear that they have managed to instil in everyone means that there is a parallel criminal justice system at work”, she also told that she met Police commissioner with some other people requesting him to take action against such bullying.
She also said that police was not interested in filing complaints as they were saying that the cinema hall owners may have on their own taken the decision of not screening the movie and so police has no base to take action. She also said that these cinema hall owners were afraid that if they screened the movie they could suffer more damage.
On other hand, Sharan Pumpwell told The News Minute that the Bajrang dal workers only made requests and Vidya’s allegations are false and baseless. He said, “We did not cause any physical damage as Vidya Dinker claims. The theatre owners themselves respected our sentiments and agreed to stop the screening,” said Pumpwell.
While Vidya says, “The police also told me that they would take action if the theatre owners complain. But owners are reluctant as they have long-term survival in mind. When a business is run with fear of these local goons in the back of their mind and when there is no confidence in the police that itself should be reason for the police to take a Suo motu action.”
