No Marathi manoos in Censor Board,MNS attacks office

“They arrived on the Censor Board premises and damaged a couple of computers. We have booked them for rioting and criminal conspiracy. Further interrogation is in progress,” said Anil Kumbhare,Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone II).

Leaders of Maharashtra Navnirman Chitrapat Karmachari Sena (MNCKS),the cine wing of the party,confirmed that their workers had attacked the office as their demand was not met. MNCKS president Amey Khopkar said the party had submitted a letter requesting the appointment of a Marathi person four months ago and no action had been taken.

“We had written to them about appointing a Marathi person. It is delaying the clearing of Marathi films and we wanted to tell them in our own style to act on our demand,” said Khopkar.

Khopkar confirmed Mishra was in-charge of a unit within MNCKS and works in a film production unit. He has been affiliated with the party for the past two years. “Mishra is our party member and he is a Marathi Mishra. He cannot be counted as a non-Marathi. We have several non-Marathi people in the party,” said Khopkar.

In June,MNCKS had demanded that a Marathi person should be appointed among the new recruits by the Censor Board in Mumbai to give due credence to Marathi cinema. They complained that among the 15 newly appointed members — who will review Marathi films being made in Maharashtra and Goa — there is not one Marathi person.

Leaders claimed that the presence of a Marathi person was essential to understand the language,customs and sensibilities while watching and approving Marathi films. MNCKS has demanded that the new appointments be scrapped and fresh appointments be made to review the films.

Censor Board officials did not respond to requests for comment.