Youth Congress activists stage protest against 'The Accidental Prime Minister' in Kolkata, vandalise multiplex

Congress supporters stormed into Inox cinema hall located in Quest Mall situated on Friday evening during the screening of the movie 'The Accidental Prime Minister'. They rushed into the hall, tore apart the screen and asked everyone to leave. 

According to one of the movie buff, who was present there, “We had booked our tickets for the 8.20pm show when suddenly Congress supporters in huge numbers entered the hall and tore the screen apart. However, security personnel later, asked all agitators to leave. We watched the entire show on a torn screen.”

(Photo: Zee Media) 

Another group Youth Congress activists staged a protest outside a multiplex chain located on Ganesh Chandra Avenue Friday afternoon and burnt posters of the film. They also raised slogans against the actors and the producer of the film. One of the demonstrators said, "We will not allow screening of this film anywhere. It shows Congress leaders in poor light." "This is nothing but a propaganda film to show former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress party in poor light," another youth Congress activist said during protests in the central Kolkata hall.

(Photo: Zee Media) 

Protests by Youth Congress activists led to the cancellation of the screening of the movie in the Hind Inox cinema hall in Kolkata. According to hall authorities, no one instructed them to stop the screening. But they took a call ascertaining the risk perception of the ticket-paying public. A spokesperson of the multiplex chain concerned said, "The respective shows had to be cancelled in two theatres due to agitation keeping in mind safety of the guests"

(Photo: Zee Media) 

Right from the morning, youth Congress activists were protesting in front of the hall at Central Kolkata, which is a traditional stronghold of the party. As soon as the screening started, the situation outside the hall became tensed. Youth Congress workers started burning posters of the film. Just merely 10 minutes into the screening of the movie, police in civil uniform entered the hall and requested the viewers to go out. The film was being shown in seven plexes, run by three multiplex chains, across the city having different show timings.

(Photo: Zee Media) 

However, the West Bengal Congress disapproved the action and said the party would never "oppose freedom of speech", which it values deeply as part of its ideology. "The official stand of the Indian National Congress on the 'Accidental Prime Minister' is that we have nothing to do with it. Our president Rahul Gandhi has instructed us that we as a party will never oppose freedom of speech, which we value deeply, as part of our ideology...." the state unit of the Congress said in a statement.

(Photo: PTI) 

"The Accidental Prime Minister", which was released on Friday, is based on a book of the same name written by Sanjaya Baru on Manmohan Singh's term as prime minister from 2004 to 2014 and details Singh's relationship with the Congress party's Gandhi family. Baru was Singh's media adviser from 2004 to 2008 during Singh's first term as the prime minister.

(Photo: PTI) ​

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday questioned the timing of the release of the film, "The Accidental Prime Minister", ahead of the general election and wryly commented that all prime ministers were accidental. "I have come to know that some people are staging political plays. Just before the (Lok Sabha) election, they have released a film titled 'The Accidental Prime Minister'. That way, all are accidental prime ministers. I did not get the meaning of this (accidental PM)," the Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo said.

(Photo: PTI) 

Congress activists protest and condemn Hindi film ‘The Accidental Prime Minister’ during a protest, in Mulund area of Mumbai, Monday, Jan 7, 2019. Maharashtra Congress has raised objections over the film and demanded its special screening to ensure that none of the scenes is factually incorrect.

(Photo: PTI) 

Police personnel keep vigil on the first day of the release of The Accidental Prime Minister, in Bhopal, Friday, Jan 11, 2019.

(PTI Photo)