Don't watch film, say protesters with roses

LUCKNOW: Protesters took to Gandhigiri on Thursday and presented roses to cine-goers outside cinema halls, requesting them to not watch Padmaavat. The film was released in nine cinema halls and multiplexes in the state capital amid heavy security. The change in the protest strategy came after police cane-charged protesters indulging in violent protests on Wednesday.
Agitators stood outside cinema halls and multiplexes screening the film and requested public not to watch the movie in solidarity with the Kshatriya community's demand to ban it for hurting its sentiments.
Around 12pm, scores of protesters wearing saffron turbans gathered at Saharaganj Mall in Hazratganj and Novelty Cinema in Lalbagh, holding red roses, and raised slogans of 'Jai Maa Bhawani' and 'Jai Shree Ram'.
Agitators then went to ticket counters to ask people to not watch the film, and gave them roses.
However, many people turned down the request and said that their boycott would be seen as tacit support to those who traumatised children and senior citizens in the name of protests.
A youth who went ahead to watch the film told TOI, "If I don't watch the film, I would be supporting Karni Sena and the violent protesters who attacked a school bus carrying children in Gurugram."
"My wife and daughter wanted to watch Padmaavat. When we came to Novelty, I saw heavy security and some people in saffron turbans shouting slogans. My daughter turned nervous and requested me to cancel the plan but I clicked a selfie with her right there to show her that no one can harm us," said Vinod Ramesh Mishra.
PAC deployed outside malls and halls
A company of Provincial Armed Constabulory (PAC) and police were deployed at various malls and cinema halls on Thursday. At some places, private security guards were also deployed. Posters or placards displaying the movie Padmaavat were not seen in any theatre.
The movie was screened at Wave Cinemas, Riverside Mall, Singapore Mall and Saharaganj Mall apart from Novelty Cinema in Lalbagh and Aliganj.
Around 2.30pm, a group of 20 people tried to enter Phoenix Mall to stop the screening of the film, said police outpost in charge Prabhashanker Singh.
"We told them that they would be arrested if they got violent...and they left," said Singh.
Operations manager of the multiplex said, "We are only running the shows because of support of the administration. In case the security cover by PAC and police is removed, we will be forced to stop the screenings."