Permission denied to Amitabh Bachchan's event in Lucknow

The district administration today declined permission to an interactive session between Bollywood mega star Amitabh Bachchan and students here, citing law and order problem.

Bachchan along with director Prakash Jha was slated to hold discussion with students to promote the upcoming film 'Aarakshan' in the city tomorrow.

They were also planning to hold a press conference but both events have now been cancelled.

The administration in a letter has stated that keeping in view the protests by some political parties on the subject of the movie, there is possibility of adverse effect on law and order situation in the city, local event coordinator Arun Srivastava said.

Besides Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone and Manoj Bajpai were also slated to participate in the interaction with students of undergraduate and post graduate courses.

While interactive session was to be organised at CMS auditorium at Gomti Nagar, the press conference was scheduled at Lineage hotel.

"Superintendent of Police in his report has said that if permission is granted for Amitabh Bachchan's programme tomorrow then it will certainly create law and order problem," additional district magistrate Ram Singhasan Prem said in the letter.

The ADM stated that DySP local intelligence unit in his report has said that some political parties have opposed the event, saying the movie is anti-Dalit.

Initially, the district administration had given permission to organise the two events with certain restrictions but they decided to withhold it just a day before the event.