Mayawati government withdraws permission to 'Aarakshan' show

Lucknow, Aug 3 (IANS) The Mayawati government Wednesday withdrew permission granted for a grand show to promote Amitabh Bachchan starrer 'Aarakshan' for which the Bollywood icon and his co stars Deepika Padukone, Manoj Bajpai and Prateik Babbar were arriving here.

'Apprehension of breach of peace' was described as the official reason for the sudden 'u' turn by the state administration, which had earlier formally granted the necessary permission for the event, planned almost a month ago.

"Well, we were constrained to cancel the permission for the programme following intelligence reports about the possibility of street protests that could have threatened peace and tranquility in the state capital," Lucknow additional district magistrate Ram Singhasan Prem told mediapersons here Wednesday evening.

He said, "the Republican Party of India and Swaraj Party had already announced their plans to stage street protests and demonstrations in the state capital against the exhibition of the film."

'Aarakshan' has also invited the ire of the National Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Commission, that had issued notice to Prakash Jha, the filmmaker. The film's protagonists burnt effigies of commissioner chairman P.L.Punia.

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