9 arrested for disrupting screening of 'The Accidental Prime Minister'

Kolkata: Nine Congress workers and supporters were arrested by Karaya police on Saturday for allegedly interrupting the screening of the movie The Accidental Prime Minister at a multiplex near Park Circus on Friday. The other hall where screening of the film was affected was at Ashoka Cinema Hall in Behala.

Due to the protests on Friday, the Inox authority has suspended it's screening at Hind Inox. On Saturday, several cinema halls like Navina, Ashoka, Prachi and Roxy suspended the screening of the controversial film.

According to sources, suspecting unwanted obstruction and protest, authorities of these cinema halls decided not to continue with the screening for an indefinite period.

Navin Chokhani, the owner of single-screen Navina Cinema, said: "We've stopped the screening of the film from today, the second day after its release, apprehending (any) untoward incident after parts of a screen were torn up in a multiplex in a mall at Park Circus."

A spokesperson of the Ashoka Cinema, said: "We have decided to suspend the matinee show of The Accidental Prime Minister from today in view of the agitations by some group."

Youth Congress supporters led by Suman Pal staged a demonstration outside a movie theatre on Friday afternoon. They raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and burnt his effigy. The screening of the first show was in progress when the incident took place. The authorities of Hind Inox suspended the show for the safety and security of the employees.

Later at around 8:35 pm, some Congress supporters led by Rakesh Singh entered the Inox located at a multiplex near Park Circus just after the screening of The Accidental Prime Minister started. The supporters allegedly entered the cinema hall and damaged the movie screen.

After intervention of the security personnel, they were forced to leave the hall. Later, the screening of the movie continued with the torn screen.

Later on the basis of the complaint lodged by the mall authority, Karaya police held a joint raid with the Anti Rowdy Squad (ARS) and Detective Department (DD) and arrested nine Congress supporters who were involved in the Friday's incident.