New Delhi: Members of the Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad on Wednesday (January 4) allegedly vandalised a mall in Ahmedabad, tearing down posters of the upcoming Shahrukh Khan and Deepika Padukone-starrer Pathaan.
According to PTI, five members of the mob were detained by the police and then later released. It is unclear whether an FIR has been registered against those involved in the vandalism, The Hindu reported.
In a video of the incident, shared by the Bajrang Dal itself, Hindu right activists can be seen tearing down posters of the film and stamping on them, while waving saffron flags in the air.
#WATCH | Gujarat | Bajrang Dal workers protest against the promotion of Shah Rukh Khan’s movie ‘Pathaan’ at a mall in the Karnavati area of Ahmedabad (04.01)
(Video source: Bajrang Dal Gujarat’s Twitter handle) pic.twitter.com/NelX45R9h7
— ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2023
While the movie itself is yet to be released, Sangh parivar groups had objected to the music video for the song ‘Besharam Rang’. Their unhappiness appears to be based on the fact that in the video, Padukone at one point is wearing an orange (or saffron) outfit while dancing with Khan, who is a Muslim.
“We will not allow Pathaan’s screening in Gujarat. Today’s protest against the movie’s release in Ahmedabad should be taken as a warning by all the theatre owners across the state. They must stay away from releasing the movie in their theatres or multiplexes,” Gujarat VHP spokesperson Hitendrasinh Rajput had said, according to PTI.
This article was first published on The Wire.