Theatre owners in Punjab have begun halting the screening of Akshay Kumar’s new release, Sooryavansi, after angry farmers tore down the posters in several parts of the state. In Hoshiarpur, at least five cinema halls stopped the screening of the film.
Angry over Akshay’s previous support to the Centre’s Narendra Modi government over the controversial Far Laws, farmers protested outside cinema halls and tore down the posters.
Earlier this year, Akshay had joined other celebrities such as Sachin Tendulkar, Saina Nehwal, Ajay Devgn and Lata Mangeshkar to support the Modi government when international celebrities raised questions on the crackdown by the BJP government against protesting farmers.
Reacting to the international outrage over the crackdown against protesting farmers, Akshay had tweeted, “Farmers constitute an extremely important part of our country. And the efforts being undertaken to resolve their issues are evident. Let’s support an amicable resolution, rather than paying attention to anyone creating differences. #IndiaTogether #IndiaAgainstPropaganda.”
Akshay had other Indian celebrities had faced widespread criticism for toeing the Indian government’s line against the protesting farmers.
On Saturday, according to the news agency PTI, activists belonging to the Bharti Kisan Union (Kadian), led by the outfit’s district president Swaran Dhugga, staged a protest march from the local Shaheed Udham Singh Park to Swaran cinema in Hoshiarpur against the screening of the movie.
Thousands of farmers have been camping at Delhi borders demanding the scrapping of three controversial Farm Laws enacted by the Modi government allegedly to help its industrialist friends. Farmers say that the new laws would leave them at the mercy of Modi’s corporate friends. They are also demanding a new law which guarantees minimum support price for their produce.
Punjab goes to polls early next year and the Farm Laws could play a key role in determining the outcome of the election.
