The Karnataka High Court questioned why the police was discriminating against Sunny Leone alone and has set a December 25 deadline for police to take a call on whether she could perform at a private New Year’s party in the city.
Justice B Veerappa asked the police to file an affidavit citing the number of clubs granted permission to hold New Year events. He asked why the police was discriminating against an individual while granting permissions to other New Year events in the city.
Harish, Managing Director of Times Creation, had moved the high court after the Karnataka government and Bengaluru police denied permission to host New Year’s Eve event ‘Sunny Nights’.
The petitioner pointed out that 50 similar events were granted permission but a letter seeking permission for the event where Sunny was to perform, had not been considered by the police. He added that the organisers had submitted the letter to the police on December 1.
Sunny was to perform at a private New Year’s Eve event at White Orchid Hotel at Nagavara,. However, protests by pro-Kannada groups seem to have forced the government and the police to deny permission for the actor’s performance.
The move came after a subsidiary organisation of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, Karave Yuva Sene, held a protest on Friday in Bengaluru in front of Manyata Tech Park against Sunny Leone coming and performing in the city on Friday.
The protesters, wearing black ribbons and armed with brooms, burnt posters of the actor.
The organisers however contended that the groups protesting were under misconceptions about the event. “I am a Kannadiga and I know the parameter of my culture. Those guys have projected this as if there is going to be a 'Nanga Naach'. In fact, when many pubs in Bengaluru will be playing EDM and Bollywood music, we will be highlighting Kannada songs. We have Kannada rapper/DJ All OK playing at our event. It is a purely family event,” Harish, the organiser told TNM.