MAX Security Report
[email protected] +44 203 540 0434 Protest India Tactical: Release of controversial film on 23 January 25 expected to trigger nationwide JAN protests by Rajput community; maintain 12:30 UTC vigilance Please be advised • According to reports from January 23 quoting their leader, the Rajput activist Karni Sena organization will hold protests nationwide on January 25 against the release of a controversial Bollywood film. The group believes that the film presents the Rajput community in a negative light, and their leadership has pledged that “if screening of the film is not stopped, members of our community will not stop from demolishing screens in theaters”. • Intermittent protests against the film occurred across Gurgaon, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh on January 22-23, as protesters blocked roads and demonstrated outside cinema halls. Reports also indicate vandalism of a mall in Gurgaon on January 22 by suspected Karni Sena activists, with the organization denying any involvement and attributing the attack to mischievous elements. • On January 18, the Supreme Court ruled that the states of Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat must allow the unimpeded release of the film. The same day, suspected Karni Sena activists allegedly attacked a cinema hall in Bihar, and the Hindu right-wing Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and allied Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) organizations extended support for a ban on the movie. • Karni Sena supporters gathered outside the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) office in Mumbai on January 12, with 100 activists detained by police personnel shortly after. The organization held its largest protest march against the film in Surat, Gujarat on November 12 2017, page 1 / 4 which reportedly drew participation in excess of 100,000.