Shiv Sainiks on Tuesday attempted to disrupt the shooting of the popular television reality show Bigg Boss produced by Colours channel at a private bungalow in Lonavla, a hill station near Mumbai, in protest against the inclusion of two Pakistani guests on the show.
The two Pakistani guests on the show hosted by Salman Khan are Veena Malik, model and ex-girlfriend of Pakistani cricketer Mohammed Asif, and actor Ali Saleem, who hosts a popular chat show as Begum Nawazish Ali.
Shiv Sena Pune district president Machchindra Kharade, who was arrested, told TheHindu on the phone that Sena chief Bal Thackeray's editorial in Saamna on Tuesday ordered that the inclusion of Pakistan nationals in the serial must be opposed. “We supported that call and decided to enter the shooting premises and stop it. We were over a 100 people,” he said.
The Sainiks reportedly had a scuffle with the security guards for nearly an hour and some shouted slogans outside the bungalow.
19 held for trespass
Pune rural Superintendent of Police Pratap Dighavkar said that the Sainiks protested in a peaceful manner. However, 19 persons were arrested for trespass under section 68 of the Bombay Police Act.
“I will study the situation and decide whether action has to be taken against them,” he said.
A Colours channel spokesperson denied that the shooting was stopped. The protestors only reached the gate and shouted slogans, he said.
Chief Minister Ashok Chavan told the media that the State would not allow anyone to take the law into their own hands.
The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena too had protested against the inclusion of the two Pakistanis in the serial.
