Outside food in multiplexes: MNS warns of fresh protest

Claiming that multiplex owners are still preventing the people from carrying outside food inside the halls, the MNS today warned of fresh protests.

The Maharashtra Navnirman Chitrapat Sena (MNCS) today appealed to the multiplexes to comply with the state government's order allowing the people to carry outside eatables within two days or face protests.

MNCS is the cinema wing of the Raj Thackeray-led party.

In a statement issued here today, MNCS president Ameya Khopkar claimed that many theatres and multiplexes are not implementing the government order to this effect, which came into force from August 1.

In the recently-concluded monsoon session of the state legislature, Minister of State for Food and Civil Supplies Ravindra Chavan had clarified that there is no ban on bringing outside eatables inside cinema halls and places like food courts under the Maharashtra Cinemas (Regulations) Rules 1966.

Thereafter, the state government had issued a directive stating that there will be no ban on bringing outside eatables in the cinema halls and multiplexes.

A group of MNS workers had assaulted an assistant manager of a multiplex theatre in Pune in June over high prices of food items sold inside the complex.

The Bombay High Court had asked the Maharashtra government why it could not regulate the prices of food items being sold at exorbitant rates in multiplexes across the state.