Dalit outfit stages protest after 'Article 15' screening halted in Bihar

Bhim Sena members staged a protest in Bihar's Patna after Anubhav Sinha's film 'Article 15' was pulled down from a theatre following threats allegedly issued by a Brahmin organisation. The film is inspired by the heinous 2014 Badaun rape incident where two teenage girls were gang-raped and murdered.

Patna (Bihar): The members of Bhim Sena, a Dalit organisation, staged a protest outside a theatre on Sunday in Bihar's Patna demanding the resumption of screening of the film 'Article 15' , which was taken down following alleged threats from Brahmin organisations.

The protestors said that the film is based on a provision of the Constitution and the theatre management must not succumb to the pressure from the people involved in hooliganism.

The activists raised slogans like "open the ticket window", "down with hooliganism", and "resume the screening of Article 15" before they were escorted away from the theatre by the police.

The screening of the controversial film was halted after some men, said to be linked to some Brahmin organisation, allegedly threatened the management of vandalism.

"If a movie has been filmed on 'Article 15,' why has it not been screened? If ten lads come and told you to stop it, would you oblige them? Who forced you to stop displaying the film? Did DM, SP or the CM order not to screen the film?" an irked protestor argued with a theatre official.

Police forcibly chased the protestors out of the theatre after they resorted to vandalism.

Speaking to media persons, state Bhim Sena president Amar Azad said, "we are demanding the screening of the film."

Filmmaker Anubhav Sinha's 'Article 15' has been facing flak from several Brahmin outfits in different parts of the country.

The film is inspired by the heinous 2014 Badaun rape incident where two teenage girls were gang-raped and murdered. It is alleged that the film hurts sentiments of the Brahmin community.