Andhra Pradesh bans 'The Da Vinci Code'

Hyderabad, June 1 (IANS) The Andhra Pradesh government Thursday banned the screening of controversial film "The Da Vinci Code", which was due for release Friday.

"After taking into consideration the reports from various government agencies and complaints from minority communities, particularly Christians, regarding The Da Vinci Code, the government has come to the conclusion that the exhibition of the film is likely to cause breach of peace and hurt religious sentiments of the minorities. Hence the government decided to suspend the screening of the movie," a government release said Thursday.

Various Christian groups and prominent individuals, including nominated legislator Christine Lazarus and chairperson of the state women's commission Mary Ravindernath, had made representations to Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, a Christian, against the film.

Muslim political party Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) had also urged the government to ban the movie.

Christian groups have hailed the ban. "It is a welcome move. Any film offending religious sentiments of any community should not be allowed to be screened," president of the Dalit Christian Forum Albert said.

Christians account for about two percent of Andhra Pradesh's 76-million population.

They are in sizeable numbers in Secunderabad, a twin city of the state capital, where the film was to be screened in about a dozen theatres.

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The Da Vinci Code