Hindutva activists stop Kannada play mid-way in Karnataka

A Kannada play was stopped midway by Hindu activists in Shivamogga district in Karnataka allegedly because they did not want Muslim characters in it.

On July 3, a group of people associated with Bajrang Dal, stormed into the hall staging a Kannada play and asked the audience to leave. The Shivamogga-based theatre group, Rangabelaku, which was staging Jategiruvana Chandira, a play written by well-known writer and lyricist Jayant Kaikini, had no other option but to stop the play.

The play was being held at Veerashaiva Mandira in Anavatti, in Sorab taluk of Shivamogga district in Karnataka.

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A Kannada adaptation of Fiddler on the roof by Joseph Stein, the play began around 7.45 p.m. At 9.30 p.m., a group of people entered the hall raising slogans demanding that the play be stopped. They reportedly objected to the play being staged with Muslim characters.

According to Anavatti police, they had received information that Sridhar Achar, a local Bajrang Dal activist, and a few others had stopped the play. But before the policemen could reach their place, the play had been stopped. The police are yet to collect more information on the reason for stopping the play.