Congress at last takes action on the Sena

Sena vs govt over SRK film
SAMYABRATA RAY GOSWAMI

Mumbai, Feb. 9: My Name is Khan has set the stage for a showdown between the Maharashtra government and the Shiv Sena with the state home ministry throwing an unparalleled security ring around theatres scheduled to screen the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer.

The government has called in five battalions of the State Reserve Police Force to protect 63 cinemas in the city that will screen the film directed by Karan Johar from this Friday.

Leave of all police officials in the city have been cancelled for the February 13-14 weekend, a decision few recalled having ever been taken as part of security for a film.

As many as 380 Sena activists have been arrested. The government has withdrawn security to some Sena leaders and warned Uddhav Thackeray of similar action, prompting him to say he was “returning” his guards.

“We have assured all concerned adequate security for the film. There will be special security at the offices of the producers, exhibitors and distributors. We will also give personal security to some key people like Shah Rukh Khan and his family, Karan Johar, etc.,” said Himangshu Roy, joint commissioner of police.

The officer’s assurance followed a meeting between Johar, who led a team of the film’s exhibitors and distributors, and police commissioner D. Sivanandan, who promised all security.

As if on cue, the Sena, which had asked Shah Rukh to apologise for saying that Pakistani players ought to have had a place in the IPL, threw an open dare at the government.

Sena sympathisers broke into three theatres in suburban Mumbai’s Mulund and Ghatkopar areas and damaged property inside R-Mall multiplex and two other single-screen cinemas.

All the theatres were in the middle of taking advance bookings for the film. As news spread, several single-screen theatres and some multiplexes stopped taking advance bookings. Most multiplexes are taking bookings via the Internet.

The government responded by ordering the arrests, though a section in the state’s ruling Congress-NCP coalition fears the move will help the Sena politically.

Sources said the Congress’s decision to clamp security on a war-footing was also intended at sending a signal to its ally, the NCP, whose boss Sharad Pawar had visited Sena chief Bal Thackeray on Sunday with a request to allow Australians to take part in the IPL.

Pawar’s move is being seen in Congress circles as a snub to Rahul Gandhi, who had defied Sena protests on Friday and criss-crossed Mumbai on a local train.


I would like to congratulate the Congress party for at last taking some action on the Sena. Although belated, at least it will show that there is a government which runs Maharashtra instead of two rabble rousing mad dogs, foaming at the mouth and spewing venom at all Indians.
The next step should be to arrest both of them and send them to the Patna prison. Our Bihari bretheren will take care of them nicely.
I think this should be the policy followed all over India.
If any state politician raises these divisive issues, he should be arrested and sent to the prison of the state against which he is rousing rabble.
India is ONE and we should not tolerate any divisive forces.
The BJP should behave like a nationalist party which it claims to be.If the NCP withdraws support to the Congress, the BJP should support it from outside so that the government does not fall and action is taken against these two rascals who are dividing India.