A professor and five students of Pune University were arrested on Saturday for hurting religious sentiments by staging a play based on the epic ‘Ramayan’. The play is said to have objectionable dialogues and scenes in it. It also shows a male actor dressed as Sita smoking cigarettes. Functionaries of the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad and students of the Pune Lalit Kala Kendra which is part of the Pune University entered into a scuffle over the play which was staged on Friday evening.
Based on a complaint lodged by the ABVP’s Harshvardhan Harpude, a case was registered under section 295 (A) and other relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code, said police inspector Ankush Chintaman.
According to the First Information Report (FIR), the play depicted a male actor playing the role of Sita engaging in smoking and using offensive language. According to the First Information Report (FIR), when members of the ABVP raised objections to the play and intervened to halt the performance, the actors responded by heckling and assaulting them.
The police have arrested the head of the department of the Lalit Kala Kendra, Dr Pravin Bhole, and students Bhavesh Patil, Jay Pednekar, Prathamesh Sawant, Rishikesh Dalvi and Yash Chikhle in connection with the incident.
The Ramayana, a revered ancient Indian epic, holds significant cultural and religious importance in Hinduism. It narrates the story of Lord Rama and his quest to rescue his wife Sita from the demon king Ravana. The epic is often performed in various forms, including plays, dramas, and other artistic interpretations.
(With PTI inputs)
