Dalit Christian Rights Front seeks ban

Hyderabad, May 29 (UNI) Hyderabad Arch Bishop Marampudi Joji and leaders of United Front for Dalit Christian Rights today met Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy at the Secretariat and submitted a memorandum seeking the ban of the controversial film ''The Da Vinci Code'' in the state.

The Church elders and leaders urged the Chief Minister to take steps for the withdrawal of conditional permission granted to Sony Pictures India, to screen the film based on the controversial book and ban its screening in the country.

They also called upon the government to stop the efforts made to dub the film into Telugu and other Indian language. They charged that the film would seriously hurt the religious sentiments of over 80 lakh Christians in the state and three crore Christians in the country.

UNI ASJ ARB KP2257