'Accidental Prime Minister' faces tough battle in Kolkata as Youth Congress protests

Youth Congress activists on Friday staged protests against the screening of the film "The Accidental Prime Minister" in two multiplexes on Friday disrupting shows, allegedly tearing the screen of one plex. However, the West Bengal Congress disapproved the action and said the party would never "oppose freedom of speech", which it values deeply as part of its ideology. A group of 15 Youth Congress activists staged a protest outside a multiplex chain located on Ganesh Chandra Avenue Friday afternoon and burnt posters of the film. They also raised slogans against the actors and the producer of the film.

Another group, flaunting party flag, suddenly started protests when the late evening show began at another multiplex in south Kolkata and allegedly tore the screen scaring the audience. A spokesperson of the multiplex chain concerned said, "The respective shows had to be cancelled in two theatres due to agitation keeping in mind safety of the guests. One of the demonstrators said, "We will not allow screening of this film anywhere. It shows Congress leaders in poor light."

"This is nothing but a propaganda film to show former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress party in poor light," another youth Congress activist said during protests in the central Kolkata hall. The film was being shown in seven plexes, run by three multiplex chains, across the city having different show timings. The film, which was released today, features actor Anupam Kher as former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The film is based on Singh's then media adviser Sanjaya Barus 2014 memoir of the same name and details Singhs relationship with the Congress party's Gandhi family.

However, the West Bengal Congress unit in a statement disapproved their actions. "The official stand of the Indian National Congress on the 'Accidental Prime Minister' is that we have nothing to do with it. Our president Rahul Gandhi has instructed us that we as a party will never oppose freedom of speech, which we value deeply, as part of our ideology...." the state unit of the Congress said in a statement.