Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Bengaluru Police has directed Suchitra Cinema and Cultural Academy in the city’s Banashankari area to suspend all ongoing and scheduled performances at its premises until further orders, following a controversy over a Kannada play depicting Mahatma Gandhi and the circumstances surrounding his assassination.
The move comes after playwright Addanda Cariappa was allegedly assaulted and had ink smeared on him by a group of protesters during a theatrical performance on October 31, triggering complaints and counter-complaints and raising questions over freedom of expression.
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In a notice issued on November 1, the Banashankari police station informed the academy management that complaints had been registered by both sides in connection with the staging of the play, ‘The Truth of Gandhi’s Assassination’.
The police said the matter was under investigation and instructed the institution to immediately postpone all performances until further orders.
The notice also warned the management against allowing any further programmes that could lead to a law-and-order situation.
“In the event that any plays or performances are held and result in a disturbance to law and order, legal action will be initiated against you and the academy,” it stated as cited by PTI.
The controversy erupted on October 31 when a group of people allegedly disrupted a performance featuring Cariappa and accused the playwright of portraying Mahatma Gandhi as “anti-national”.
According to police, Cariappa alleged in his complaint that around 12 to 15 people entered the premises, interrupted the show, assaulted him, threw ink on him and threatened to kill him.
The playwright maintained that the production was based on references drawn from books and historical material.
Meanwhile, a separate complaint was submitted by Kushal Hanumegowda and 14 others, who objected to the content of the play titled ‘Gandhi Hatheya Kicchu’.
They alleged that the production presented Gandhi in a negative light while portraying Nathuram Godse as a hero. The complainants also claimed that the play held Gandhi and the Congress responsible for the Partition of India.
Following complaints from both parties, the police registered separate FIRs on November 1 and initiated an investigation into the incident.
The matter escalated further on November 2 when an unidentified person allegedly hurled a slipper at Cariappa outside the academy while he was speaking to the media.
The incident reportedly took place despite the presence of police personnel at the spot.
The developments have also triggered a political confrontation in Karnataka, with BJP Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya criticising the Congress-led state government and accusing it of undermining freedom of expression.
Drawing a comparison with restrictions imposed on the media during the Emergency, the BJP MP alleged that the Congress had continued with what he described as authoritarian practices by creating obstacles to artistic expression.
Surya also questioned the police response to the alleged attack on Cariappa and accused the authorities of protecting those involved in the incident rather than holding them accountable.
With the police investigation underway and the academy directed to halt its performances, the controversy has brought the debate over artistic freedom, historical interpretation and public order into focus.
The suspension will remain in force until further orders, while the police are expected to examine the complaints, available evidence and circumstances surrounding the alleged assault before deciding on further action.
– Ends
With PTI inputs
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
