A local outfit in Bhubaneshwar threatened to throw ink at Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan and show him the black flag when he visits the city next week for the 2018 Men’s Hockey World Cup.
According to the Hindustan Times, Hemant Rath, the chief of the outfit which calls itself Kalinga Sena, has demanded an apology from Khan for allegedly insulting Odisha and its people in his film Asoka that was made 17 years ago.
The outfit had also filed a complaint with the police here on November 1 alleging that Khan has hurt the sentiment of Odia people and dishonoured the state’s culture by portraying the Kalinga war in a wrong manner.
The Kalinga (historical name of Odisha) war was fought in 265 BC in which Emperor Ashoka defeated the Kalinga king and the kingdom was annexed to the Mauryan empire. The war is considered one of the bloodiest battles in history and had prompted Asoka to embrace Buddhism.
“We have made preparation to throw ink on the actor’s face and show him black flag at any place from the airport to the stadium. Our activists will remain present all along the road where Khan is likely to visit,” a press statement issued by the Kalinga Sena read.
Asoka, which was released in 2001, could not run in the theatres in the state for more than seven days due to protests.
The Chief minister of Odisha has invited Khan for the inauguration of the Men’s Hockey World Cup which will be held at the Kalinga Stadium on November 27.
Previously, Kalinga Sena had held a rally on November 11 and burnt SRK’s effigy as a mark of protest.
A senior police officer said adequate security arrangements will be made for all the visiting VVIPs including Khan.
