Padmaavat Row: Bihar assures security to cinema halls

Most theatre owners in Bihar refrained from screening the film on Thursday as the protests continued across the state amid the government's assurance of providing security to cinema halls showing the controversial movie.

Bihar Chief Secretary Anjani Kumar Singh said, "We are ensuring safety of cinema halls showing Padmaavat and are keeping an eye for any law and order issues.

Another top official said Bihar Police Headquarters had issued detailed guidelines to the police force in this regard. "It clearly states the protection to be provided to the people screening and watching the movie "Padmaavat". So far the protests have been done within the law, but, if there's any untoward incident we'll take action," said S K Singhal, ADG of Bihar Police.

Hundreds of protesters linked to various fringe outfits including the Karni Sena and Rajput Mahasabha led out marches, burnt effigies and posters, blocked roads and raised slogans against screening of the movie across the state on Thursday.

In Muzaffarpur and Supaul, protesters wielded swords, roads were blocked in Shekhpura, Bhojpur and Patna-Muzaffarpur national highway while demonstration were also witnessed in other districts such as Munger, Katihar, Samastipur, Banka, Gaya and East Champaran.

In CM Nitish Kumar's home district Nalanda, "Kisan cinema hall-Biharsharif" was among the few that screened the movie but earned the wrath of protesters and much ruckus was created by them. They threatened to set the theatre ablaze, tore movie posters and damaged vehicles at the theatre premises. In Begusarai, a scheduled screening was cancelled while a theatre in Bagaha showed the movie in the presence of heavy security deployment.

None of the single-screen or multiplex owners showed the movie in Patna, where multiple protests were witnessed. Besides a road march from Boring Road to Gandhi Maidan, tyres were burnt at Dak Bungalow crossing while the mob t Mona cinema hall turned violent and even pelted stones on people.

Film exhibitors in the capital said they will not screen the film till the protests continued. Earlier this week, online advance bookings of the movie had been cancelled in Patna following the protests.