Valmiki community protests screening of Salman’s ‘Tiger Zinda Hai’ in Rajasthan

Jaipur, Dec 22 (IANS) Rajasthan saw massive protests against another Bollywood film, with members of the Valmiki community disrupting the morning shows of "Tiger Zinda Hai", a Salman Khan-Katrina Kaif starrer, in many cinema halls across the state on Friday in protest against the alleged use of a pejorative word by Salman during a promotional event.

The protesters also filed a complaint at the Nahargarh police station.

Bhanwarlal, Inspector, Nahargarh Police Station, told IANS: "The members of the Valmiki Yuva Sangathan have lodged a complaint against Salman Khan and Shilpa Shetty for the use of word 'Bhangi' in a show. They have urged the authorities concerned to take suitable against the duo for insulting a particular community."

"Inhone Harijan Jaati ki liye jo shabd prayog kiya hain inhe shobha nahin deta," (They have used a derogatory word for the Harijan community) the report said.

Sources said the report will be sent to senior officials who will look into the matter and take appropriate action.

The protesters alleged that Salman had insulted the Valmiki community by using "cheap language".

The video of Salman, uttering the pejorative words has gone viral, and triggered tension in Ajmer.

Earlier, the protests started from Ajmer and soon reached Jaipur and Kota, leading to cancellation of the morning shows in several cinema halls of the film that released nationwide on Friday.

The police remanded several people in custody.

Angry protesters reached Mridang Theatre late on Thursday night and tore up the film's posters and many also set ablaze the actor's posters.

They also warned cinema hall owners to stop screening the movie or else they will have to pay a big price, sources confirmed.

The movie has been directed by Ali Abbas Zafar and comes as a sequel to Kabir Khan's blockbuster "Ek Tha Tiger".

People from the Valmiki community gathered outside the renowned Rajmandir cinema hall in Jaipur and tore the posters of the film.

A police team immediately reached the spot and managed to pacify the protesters who voiced their anger over the derogatory remarks by the actor against the community at a talk show.

Sources from Rajmandir said the protesters reached the cinema hall at 9.30 a.m. hoping that they will be able to stop screening of the film. However, there was no show scheduled in the morning. The protersters then raised slogans, burnt the film's posters and left.

Aakash Cinema Hall in Kota also was witness to similar furore where protesters burnt posters of 'Tiger Zinda Hai'.

The timely visit of a police team under the direction of Additional Superintendent of Police Umesh Ojha helped in dispersing the crowd. The windows of several vehicles were smashed during the protests.

In Kishangarh, Salman Khan's effigy was burned. The protesters burnt the posters of 'Tiger Zinda Hai' there too in Crystal Park Cinema Hall.

Earlier, protests had broken out against Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Padmavati" for allegedly distorting history.