Pro-Kannada groups protest against Sunny Leone’s New Year party in Bengaluru

The demonstrators, wearing black ribbons around their head, set ablaze posters of Sunny Leone.

The members of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike Yuva Sene, the youth wing of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, on Friday held protests in Bengaluru against an upcoming event in the city, where Bollywood actor Sunny Leone is due to perform on the eve of New Year.

The pro-Kannada activists alleged that such events in the city posed a threat to Kannada culture. “We won’t allow western culture to hurt our Kannada culture. We all know the history of Sunny Leone. And we won’t allow it,” Harish, the leader of the protesters, told India Today.

The demonstrators, wearing black ribbons around their head, set ablaze posters of Sunny at Manyata Tech Park, where the New Year bash has been scheduled to take place.

Karnataka: The members of pro- Kannada group Karnataka Rakshana Vedike Yuva Sene staged a demonstration protesting against actor Sunny Leone taking part in a new year eve event at Manyata Tech Park in Bengaluru pic.twitter.com/fwk7PetVP9

— ANI (@ANI) December 15, 2017

“We have all seen what happened at MG Road and Brigade Road on December 31 last year. Bringing people like Sunny Leone to Bengaluru will only corrupt the minds of men and women, and lead them to behave inappropriately,” said Harish, while talking to The News Minute.

The members of the fringe groups said they had no issues if she wore a saree for her performance. They also claimed there were protests across the state against ‘Sunny Night in Bengaluru NYE 2018’ event.

Reacting to the violent protests, the organiser issued a statement saying the New Year party was a family affair. “Being a Kannadiga myself, I have ensured the standard of the show is representative of Bengaluru’s culture. Even though, Sunny Leone got a lot of offers to dance on New Year’s Eve, she chose to come here, as Bengaluru and Hyderabad are her favourite places. This is a family programme and the culture of the state is not being disrespected,” said the organiser.

He also noted that it was not the first time Sunny was giving a performance in Bengaluru. She has also played cameo roles and done special songs in Kannada films in the past.