Hindu Jagran Manch vandalises home of director Sunil Singh in protest of movie ‘Game of Ayodhya’

Protesting against the movie Game of Ayodhya, Hindu Jagran Manch (HJM) on Sunday vandalised its director’s house in Aligarh’s Civil Lines area.

The film, scheduled for release on December 8, narrates a love story between a Hindu man and a Muslim womanprotest in Ayodhya at the time of Babri Masjid demolition.

HJM workers claimed the trailers showed “distorted facts”. Following the protests, police was deployed outside director Sunil Singh’s home. No one has been booked for the incident.

On Sunday, HJM workers put a lock on the main gate of the director’s residence and blackened the walls.

HJM state secretary Sanju Bajaj said: “I have seen the film’s trailer. It has been shown that there was no temple at the site and idols were placed later. We will not allow screening of the film in Aligarh cinemas. I have warned owners of cinema halls that if they screen the movie, and if any untoward incident takes place, it will be their responsibility,”

He also said that police were present outside Singh’s residence during Sunday’s protest.

Sunil Singh, who claimed to have served as an MLC between 2004 and 2010, said, “I have lodged a complaint with the state government and the Central government about the protests. I have also requested for security for my family and myself in Aligarh.”

He confirmed that police were outside his residence during the HJM protest. “Around 250 policemen were present, but no one stopped the protesters. I have not lodged any police complaint in this connection so far.”

Singh said the film was shot in Faizabad, Ayodhya, Lucknow and Mumbai. It was completed in January.

“The film was denied certificate in January by the Central Board of Film Certification. I then moved the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal against this decision and the order was set aside in October. Now, I have decided to release the film all over India on December 8,” said Sunil Singh.

Aligarh’s SSP Rajesh Pandey said, “No FIR has been lodged in connection with yesterday’s incident so far. Police force, however, has been deployed outside Sunil Singh’s residence”.

Bajrang Dal workers torched Sunil Singh’s effigy during a protest in Aligarh.

Source : Indian Express