Sunny Leone's New Year event to be cancelled in Bangalore over fringe protests?

The Karnataka government today decided not to permit Bollywood actress Sunny Leone's New Year Eve show here and elsewhere in the state following protests from Kannada outfits. Karnataka Rakshana Vedike and some other organisations have been opposing the proposed event on December 31 alleging that the invitation to Sunny Leone will be an "assault" on the city's culture.

For the past one week, the KRV members have been agitating in the city, taking out rallies and burning effigies of Sunny Leone.

"I have instructed (authorities) not to allow such events. Don't bring her (Leone) here. People are opposed to the event. Let them (organisers) organise events related to Kannada culture and literature, which is our heritage," Karnataka Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy told PTI.

KRV office-bearer Harish welcomed the government decision. "It is a victory for us. Government has cancelled the programme. Had it happened here, we would have brought activists from 20 districts to Bengaluru and held a mega protest here."

When Indian Today contacted the event organiser of 'Sunny Night in Bengaluru NYE 2018', they got this reply, "This is a family-type programme with Sunny dancing on a Kannada song, and I, being a Kannadiga, have kept the programme's standard based on the Bengaluru culture itself. Even though Sunny got a lot of events that offered her more money, she rejected those and agreed to come to Bengaluru since Bengaluru and Hyderabad are her favourite places. I don't know what the protestors are expecting or what they think; this is a family show where the culture of the state won't be disturbed."