PANJIM: Two students of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), who tried disrupting the inaugural ceremony of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) on Friday, were arrested by Agassaim police on various charges.
The protesting students, Akhilesh Tiwari and Shubham Vardhan, hailing from Delhi and Mumbai respectively were seen displaying placards at the inaugural venue at Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium when the police picked them for questioning.
The banner naming personalities like Gajendra Chauhan, Narendra Pathak, Rahul Solhapurkat and two others along with their photos, stated ‘we do not accept them’.
They were taken to the office of the deputy superintendent of police at Police Headquarters where they were interrogated for nearly three hours, and later sent to Agassaim police lockup.
Sources said the accused managed to criminally trespass into the stadium by impersonating as invited guests. “They shouted slogans against Union minister Arun Jaitley and actor chief guest Anil Kapoor,” a source said. PI Jivba Dalvi is investigating the case filed under sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 419, 448 and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.
The FTII students are opposing the appointment of Chauhan as chairperson of FTII and four other appointees who they claim have been placed on the panel due to their closeness to certain politicians.
Apprehending protests at the IFFI venue, the FTII administration Pune had decided not to pay for the conveyance and accommodation of its students enrolled for the festival in Goa this year. It has told the students to bear their own expenses.
The directorate of film festivals has also decided not to screen films made by the institute students at the festival. This means there is no separate section for the screening of FTII made films this year.
In a statement released to the media, the FTII Students Association said, “The current situation is difficult to judge as the two have been kept out of reach by the police and our friends in Goa are trying to trace them through different sources have told us that the police have been extremely rough in dealing with the two ex-students, some saying they have been physically bullied by the police. We are anxiously waiting to hear back from the two worried about their safety.” The association has condemned the treatment meted out to the two students by the police saying it indicate “the tyrannical control of this fascist government on all State machineries.”
Meanwhile, the government has also imposed section 144 of the CrPC in view of the IFFI. Shiv Sena State chief Ajitsingh Rane criticized the government for imposing section 144 CrPC saying, “Imposing this section is unconstitutional and will be raised in court immediately.” He also stated that if immediate action is not taken on the issue, a protest will be held.
The statement came after social activist and para-teacher Swati Kerkar was stopped by a policeman before crossing the road near Azad Maidan. Kerkar, angered by this, said, “The government can make Goa the permanent destination for IFFI, but they cannot regularize the services of para-teachers who are teaching for a decade.”
