Bajrang Dal accuses IPTA of enacting ‘anti-Hindu’ plays in MP, organizers cancel show fearing violence

In BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh, RSS’ affiliate Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal have threatened Indian People’s Theatre Association (IPTA) – the oldest association of theatre artists in India – for allegedly enacting “anti-Hindu” satirical dramas at Chhatarpur drama festival, following which the organizers have cancelled the show.

Issuing a statement, head of VHP, Chhatarpur, Surendra Shivhare, threatened a violent protest against the IPTA in a veiled manner. He also asked the district administration to cancel the permission for the festival.

Raising objections against “Jati hi poochho Sadhu ki” and “Besharma Mev Jayate” which were scheduled to be enacted in the show, the VHP said that these dramas are completely against the Hindu culture and were anti-religious.

“…Such anti-religious programmes must be stopped and permission be cancelled otherwise Bajrang Dal will launch an aggressive movement for which the administration would be responsible,” the VHP said.

The IPTA, which was formed in 1943 and is widely credited for bringing cultural awakening among the people of India, has cancelled the show after a discussion, fearing violence.

Talking to National Herald, state secretary of IPTA Madhya Pradesh, Shivendra Shukla said the district administration had worked in tandem with the VHP.

“We asked for the police protection in advance, made several requests to the district administration but they kept procrastinating...Finally we had to cancel the event as we received inputs that the VHP and Bajraj Dal were planning violence,” he said.

“Initially they had problems with the IPTA, then they had problems with some plays, then they came up with a statement threatening violent protest against us…So we decided to cancel the festival after a discussion as we did not want to put anybody's life at risk,” added Shukla.

Saying that MP is fast becoming another ‘lab’ of Hindutva project like Gujarat and following the ‘UP model of governance’, Shukla said, “IPTA will continue to do what it has been doing”.