Sena hand in attack on cinema in Delhi?

Though the Shiv Sena is a force to reckon with in Maharashtra, other metros have been mercifully free from the menace of the Sena goons.

Delhi has occasionally seen minor protests at the time of Valentine’s Day, Feb 14, but not of the scale which is being seen currently in Mumbai over the screening of the latest Shahrukh Khan film “My Name is Khan.”

Multiplexes in the Capital have already put up House Full signs for the shows all over the city. Black marketeers are doing roaring business with tickets selling at more than double the price for the first day shows.

Meanwhile, a West Delhi cinema hall, which was scheduled to screen the Khan film , was vandalized by a group of miscreants early Friday. The police are checking whether they are Shiv Sena youths are miscreants exploiting the publicity for the Sena men in the media. The youngsters broke a window pane of Satyam Janak Place cinema hall in Janakpuri in west Delhi.

"A group of two-three youngsters were drunk and broke the glass with the aim of creating mischief. One of them was caught. They don't seem to be associated with any political party or group. They did not have any placards or posters against the movie," Deputy Commissioner of Police (west) Sharad Aggrwal said. The one who was caught was a Class 11 drop-out.

While there are high expectations from the film in which the lead pair Shahrukh and Kajol are being seen together after a gap of nine years, the uproar by the Sena brigade has resulted in heavy bookings at the halls by the fans of the pair, who share an impressive onscreen chemistry.

In Mumbai, some multiplexes have decided to show the film on Friday, but with restricted number of screenings. Chief Minister Ashok Chavan went to see the film in one of the cinemas to send the message that there was no need to be scared of the Sena’s threatening tactics.

Meanwhile, there are reports of Vishwa Hindu Parishad activists trying to disrupt MNIK shows in Ahmedabad and Jamnagar in Gujarat. The men tore down the posters of the film. The VHP has joined the Shiv Sena in its anti-Shahrukh campaign arguing there was 'nothing wrong' in it as the country was not prepared to tolerate a 'Pakistani sympathizer.'

- Asian Tribune -