BJP government complicit in its silence: Congress on anti-PK protests

As protests by Bajrang Dal activists escalated against Aamir Khan blockbuster 'PK', Congress on Tuesday condemned the vandalism and charged that the BJP government was "complicit in its silence".

"Condemn acts of vandalism by Bajrang Dal and other fringe elements against movie PK. Would (PM Narendra) Modi ask CM Gujarat to act against Hooligans? "Or at least condemn it on his Twitter ? No he won't because he believes in what his Hooligan Bajrang Dal Gang is doing. Ugly face of Fascism," party general secretary Digvijay Singh tweeted. Former Union Minister Manish Tewari said the attack on PK "assaults" the freedom of speech and expression.

"The BJP govt is complicit in its silence. Why are advocates of free speech silent?," he tweeted. In an escalation of protests against Khan's blockbuster 'PK', Bajrang Dal activists had on Monday vandalised theatres in Gujarat exhibiting the film for making "fun" of Hindu Gods and godmen and warned that its screening be stopped.

Besides Gujarat, the right wing activists also staged protests in Agra and Mau in Uttar Pradesh and Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh and tore posters of the film. There were reports that one theatre in south Mumbai's Parel had stopped screening of the film.

BJP leader Subramanian Swamy had on Monday given another twist to the controversy questioning the financing of the film and claimed that according to his sources it is traceable to Dubai and ISI. Slamming him and the BJP over the remarks, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi had said that this reflected the priorities of the government, which has "only tilted at windmills" and has an "agenda is to divide". He had also alleged that the "eloquent silence" of the Prime Minister on this issue is "pregnant with meaning".