Rajinikanth hits out at AIADMK for protests against Vijay-starrer 'Sarkar'
Chennai, Nov 9: Tamil superstar Rajinikanth Friday lashed out at the ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu for its protests against certain scenes in actor Vijay's Diwali release 'Sarkar', questioning the rationale behind protesting against a film certified by the Censor Board.
He "strongly condemned" the demands for deletion of scenes.
"It is against the law to hold protests seeking removal of some scenes from a Censor board certified film and trying to stall the screening and damaging the banners," he tweeted.
"I strongly condemn these," he added.
The makers of 'Sarkar' had agreed to remove "objectionable" scenes and "mute" an apparent reference to the late J Jayalalithaa, an industry body said Thursday, as the movie faced a backlash from the ruling AIADMK over depiction of its welfare schemes and its leader.
The AIADMK was up in arms against 'Sarkar' with senior AIADMK ministers demanding deletion of the contentious scenes, besides threatening to initiate legal action if the film crew failed to comply.
Law Minister C Ve Shanmugam said certain scenes amounted to inciting violence and warned of action.
While a theatre owners' body announced that the edited version would be screened from Friday afternoon, sources in the 'Sarkar' crew said a "compromise" has been reached.
'Sarkar,' produced by Sun Pictures, stars Vijay and Keerthi Suresh in key roles, and was released on November 6. It is directed by AR Murugadoss and has music by Oscar winner AR Rahman.
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“Goli maro…” slogan raised as ABVP-linked group disrupts play at University of Hyderabad
Hyderabad: A group allegedly linked to the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) disrupted a theatre performance at the University of Hyderabad on Sunday evening. The group is also accused of vandalising property and assaulting students.
Slogans such as “Desh ke gaddaron ko, goli maro…” were raised during the incident, according to eyewitnesses.
According to the Observer Post, the disruption happened as Mahesh Elkunchwar's play Holi was being staged at the Department of Theatre Arts' GB Hall. The group reportedly objected to certain portions of the play, claiming that some phrases hurt religious sentiments.
According to accounts from those present, the situation escalated when individuals forced their way into the venue after damaging fixtures and breaking glass panels outside the auditorium. Students attempting to intervene were reportedly assaulted, and a guest faculty member was allegedly threatened.
Several students sustained injuries and were provided initial treatment at the campus health centre before being shifted to a nearby hospital.
Police later arrived at the scene, brought the situation under control, and escorted those inside the hall to safety. Witnesses said tensions remained high, with some members of the group continuing to raise slogans during the evacuation.
