Sunny Leone’s Bengaluru show passes off peacefully as Kannada outfit backs off

Bengaluru, Nov 4: Amid tight security, the maiden stage performance by Bollywood actor Sunny Leone in the city concluded without any hindrance.

Police had tightened the security in and around the venue fearing that the members of a fringe group, Karnataka Rakshana Vedike Yuva Sene (KRVYS), would disrupt the show.

The pro-Kannada outfit had threatened to disrupt the event. Around 200 policemen in civil dress were deployed at the venue.

The KRVYS, an offshoot of pro-Kannada organisation Karnataka Rakshana Vedike had been opposing the event, saying it would spoil the culture of Bengaluru and objecting to Leone’s lead role in multi-lingual movie Veera Mahadevi, a period drama portraying a warrior.

KRVYS state president R Harish said the agitation was called off as they had inputs that their rival group was planning to stage a parallel agitation only to defame them.

"We wanted a peaceful agitation. Our intention was never to create a commotion. Hence we backed off," said Harish.

The organisers had earlier planned to host the same event last year on December 31 night. However, it could not take place as the organisers had not obtained police permission.