Four held for disrupting Pak show in Gurgaon

The men, along with   some of their supporters, raised anti-Pakistan slogans, thereby, disrupting a musical play being performed by artists from the neighbouring country at the Leisure Valley Ground on Saturday evening.

“Satyabir Singh Rohilla, PRO of the Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon,  registered a complaint regarding criminal trespass by a group of Shiv Sena workers at a cultural programme. We have registered an FIR against four persons,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Deepak Saharan. Police said the situation was soon under control.

However, Saharan claimed that they had received no prior written information about the play.

The four – Ajay, Gautam, Sumit and Jitu – have been arrested under Sections 451 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). All four are residents of Gurgaon.

According to organisers of the musical concert, a Pakistani troupe named ‘The Mass Group Foundation’ had come to the Millennium City to present a musical theatrical play called ‘Bannj’. Seven Pakistani artists, including two women, were performing the act, which started around 7:30pm.

Half-an-hour into the show, over half-a-dozen men disrupted the play by raising  anti-Pakistan slogans. “We initially thought that it was part of the play. But we realised that they wanted to disrupt the act, when they pulled out Pakistan’s  flag put up on the stage. They also raised slogans against Pakistan. But the organisers soon brought the situation under control and pushed them down the stage,” said Satyabir Singh Rohilla, PRO, MCG.

Even though two policemen were deployed at the venue, but could not be seen when the accused men were disrupting the performance.

Aamir Nawaz, director of the play, said they had come with a “message of peace”.  “We have been coming to India since 2008 and staged plays in different parts of the country such as Amritsar, Kurukshetra and Rohtak. We have been to other parts of the world as well, but enjoy performing in India as we share a common culture,” said Nawaz. The group is scheduled to perform at Azad Bhawan in the national Capital on Monday.