06-25-2006, 01:21 AM
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<b>Protests stop Da Vinci screening in Hyderabad </b>
Hyderabad (ICNS) -- Dozens of Christian volunteers staged protests across Hyderabad, and a noisy demonstration in front of Prasad's IMAX theatre in the city forced the management stop screening of the controversial film The Da Vinci Code on Friday.
<b>The Christian protests came in the wake of a High Court ruling in Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday that dismissed a state government order banning the filmâs screening.</b>
A group of 50 volunteers of All India Christian United Front gathered in front of the IMAX theatre, holding placards and raising slogans against the film, saying it has deeply hurt the religious sentiments of Christians in India.
Forced by the protests, the theatre management cancelled the show that was to begin at 3.15 pm. Incidentally, Prasad's IMAX was the only theatre to start showing the film today, as other theatres in the city and elsewhere in the state could not take up screening at short notice. The theatre had planned a single show until Sunday and three shows a day from Monday.
The theatre management said they had full bookings for today's matinee show.
Although the protestors had made it known that they would not allow the screening and had even alerted the media before gathering at 3 pm, the police was blissfully unaware of the threat. Police arrived only after the protestors staged a demonstration and dispersed.
Meanwhile, the state government has decided to file an appeal before a division bench of the state High Court against a single judge's orders quashing its order banning the exhibition of the film in English, Telugu or any other language in the state.
On Wednesday, the High Court dealt with a batch of writ petitions filed by distributors seeking a stay on the government's orders and Justice Raghuram stayed the ban.
The court also directed the government to pay a fine of Rs 10,000 each to the film's producer and distributor. <b>The judge observed that it was not proper on the part of the government to impose a ban just because some individuals and organisations had demanded it. </b>
<b>The verdict came 20 days after the Congress-led Andhra Pradesh government banned the screening.</b>
"After taking into consideration the reports and complaints of members of minority community, particularly Christians, the government has come to the conclusion that exhibition of the film is likely to cause breach of peace and hurt religious sentiments," the ban order had said.
Justice G Raghuram declared the government's action in imposing a ban on June 1 on the screening of the film "as extravagant, arbitrary and wholly irrational."
Christian groups in India have been demanding to ban the movie on the grounds that it would hurt the religious sentiments of Christians.
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<b>Protests stop Da Vinci screening in Hyderabad </b>
Hyderabad (ICNS) -- Dozens of Christian volunteers staged protests across Hyderabad, and a noisy demonstration in front of Prasad's IMAX theatre in the city forced the management stop screening of the controversial film The Da Vinci Code on Friday.
<b>The Christian protests came in the wake of a High Court ruling in Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday that dismissed a state government order banning the filmâs screening.</b>
A group of 50 volunteers of All India Christian United Front gathered in front of the IMAX theatre, holding placards and raising slogans against the film, saying it has deeply hurt the religious sentiments of Christians in India.
Forced by the protests, the theatre management cancelled the show that was to begin at 3.15 pm. Incidentally, Prasad's IMAX was the only theatre to start showing the film today, as other theatres in the city and elsewhere in the state could not take up screening at short notice. The theatre had planned a single show until Sunday and three shows a day from Monday.
The theatre management said they had full bookings for today's matinee show.
Although the protestors had made it known that they would not allow the screening and had even alerted the media before gathering at 3 pm, the police was blissfully unaware of the threat. Police arrived only after the protestors staged a demonstration and dispersed.
Meanwhile, the state government has decided to file an appeal before a division bench of the state High Court against a single judge's orders quashing its order banning the exhibition of the film in English, Telugu or any other language in the state.
On Wednesday, the High Court dealt with a batch of writ petitions filed by distributors seeking a stay on the government's orders and Justice Raghuram stayed the ban.
The court also directed the government to pay a fine of Rs 10,000 each to the film's producer and distributor. <b>The judge observed that it was not proper on the part of the government to impose a ban just because some individuals and organisations had demanded it. </b>
<b>The verdict came 20 days after the Congress-led Andhra Pradesh government banned the screening.</b>
"After taking into consideration the reports and complaints of members of minority community, particularly Christians, the government has come to the conclusion that exhibition of the film is likely to cause breach of peace and hurt religious sentiments," the ban order had said.
Justice G Raghuram declared the government's action in imposing a ban on June 1 on the screening of the film "as extravagant, arbitrary and wholly irrational."
Christian groups in India have been demanding to ban the movie on the grounds that it would hurt the religious sentiments of Christians.
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