Mon, Feb 1 01:39 PM
Shiv Sena activists ignored the heavy police presence outside Shah Rukh Khan’s home and demonstrated noisily against the actor for backing the participation of Pakistani cricketers in the IPL. Khan owns the Kolkata Knight Riders team.
Sena activists “handed him a symbolic ticket” to Islamabad and tore up posters of his next film, with vibhag pramukh Anil Parab saying they would consider blocking shows unless Khan apologises, The police, already posted outside Khan’s house Mannat in Bandra, arrested 50 Sainiks including 25 women within minutes of the demonstration beginning.
“There was an agitation but we ensured that many of the protestors were stopped. A group led by Anil Parab was arrested at quiet a distance from Mannat. Some protesters stood at the sea-face front, but they were stopped in time,” said DCP Brijesh Singh.
Sena MP Manohar Joshi pointed out that Shah Rukh has lived in Mumbai for years but does not speak Marathi.
Home Minister R.R Patil promised action against those taking the law into their hands. The costs of the damage caused during the protests would be charged on the concerned organisation, he said.
On Friday, Sena activists in Thane tore posters of Shah Rukh’s forthcoming film My Name is Khan and also gave a representation to a multiplex asking them not to screen the movie.
The Shiv Sena has long opposed Pakistani cricketers playing in India. In 1991, the Sena’s Shishir Shinde (now a MNS MLA) and a group that dug up the pitch at Wankhede Stadium to protest a scheduled India-Pakistan match. Sena chief Bal Thackeray has also announced a ban on Australia cricketers in Mumbai and Maharashtra to protest the racist attacks on Indians Down Under.
Shah Rukh security beefed up as Sena protests - Yahoo! India News