Zeenews Bureau
Mumbai: The Shiv Sena- SRK spat is turning uglier with every passing hour, as a group of social activists led by Teesta Setalwad today staged a massive protest against Shiv Sena demanding the smooth release of film My Name Is Khan.
According to reports, the activists shouted slogans infront of Shiv Sena Bhawan while pressing the party leadership to end its boycott of Shah Rukh Khan’s now controversial film.
However, the protestors were later taken into preventive custody and released after some time.
However, Shiv Sena has once again reiterated that they will block the screening of the film till the actor tenders an apology over his IPL remarks.
The development also coincided with the arrest of at least 295 Shiv Sena activists bny the Mumbai Police to ensure smooth release of SRK’s latest offering.
The arrest has taken the total number of saffron outfit workers put behind the bars to 1,895 ahead of tomorrow`s release of Shah Rukh Khan’s `My Name is Khan`.
"We are not taking any chances. We have identified troublemakers and are picking them up as a precautionary measure. Since Tuesday, we have arrested 1,824 under preventive action and 71 Sainiks have been arrested for various offences such as unlawful assembly and rioting," Assistant Police Commissioner P Sonawane said.
"Our crack down would continue," said Sonawane, indicating more arrests are likely.
While some have been remanded to police custody up to February 15, some were sent to judicial custody till February 12. Some were released on bail also.
On Tuesday, soon after director Karan Johar, who is also co-producer of `My Name...` met Police Commissioner D Sivanandhan to discuss security issues ahead of the movie`s
release, Sainiks began vandalising theatres and protesting outside cinema halls.
Subsequently, police began a crack down on Sena activists to thwart protests by the saffron outfit, which has vowed not the allow screening of the mega budget film till the actor apologised for his remarks favouring Pakistani players in IPL-3.
