Aarakshan cast denied permission to promote their film in UP
By Bollywood Hungama News Network, August 4, 2011 - 17:43 IST
Click above for more movie stills The Aarakshan team was in for a shock on Wednesday evening when they were informed that the Mayawati government has withdrawn the permission granted to them for a grand show to promote their film in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Manoj Bajpayee and Prateik were on their way to Lucknow when they got this news.
The state administration had earlier formally granted the necessary permission for the event which was planned almost a month ago. The reasons given by the state administration for the denial of permission was 'Apprehension of breach of peace'.
Lucknow Additional District Magistrate, Ram Singhasan Prem, told media persons on Wednesday evening that they we were constrained to cancel the permission for the programme following intelligence reports about the possibility of street protests that could have threatened peace and tranquility in the state capital. In fact The Republican Party of India and Swaraj Party had already announced their plans to stage street protests and demonstrations in the state capital against the exhibition of the film.
Following this incident Amitabh Bachchan expressed his displeasure on twitter, "And now the bad news... our Lucknow trip tomorrow cancelled because the U.P administration withdraws all permission to conduct promo..The administration does not allow us to enter the city..unofficial reports by police say they have instructions to arrest us if we do. Feel disappointed that we are not allowed to promote film in U.P Lucknow .. admin feels will excite and cause law and order problem. They say it is a sensitive subject and do not want us to enter the city even...without even seeing the film, duly Censored ?? Strange. But we must follow the law of the land .. and the principles that our Constitution is based on .. will go straight to Delhi now !! But the love of the people here in Patna has been nothing short of incredible!! Lined up on streets even at night .. bless them all."
The problems for Aarakshan don't end here. The Bombay High Court on Wednesday issued notice to the Maharashtra government directing them to file a reply on whether there are possibilities of law and order problems after the release of Prakash Jha's Aarakshan which has landed in a row for its alleged anti-reservation stand. The reply of which has to be filed by August 5.
Earlier Aarakshan has also invited the ire of the National Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Commission, who a issued notice to Prakash Jha, the director of the film. The film's protagonists burnt effigies of commissioner chairman P.L.Punia.