Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has slammed no music after 10 p.m. order in Hyderabad pubs, wondering "if the city was under Taliban rule".
In a series of tweets with hashtag HyderabadTaliban on Thursday, he urged the Telangana government and city police to do away with the restriction and cautioned them if continued this might drive away investors to cities like Bengaluru.
"When we are all living in the same country called India ,why are only Hyderabadis being subjected to Taliban rule sir ? How come the NO music time is 1 AM everywhere else in the country and 10 pm in Hyderabad," he asked Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao.
"I didn't realise that Hyderabad is being ruled in Taliban style which is what I felt when I saw a pub looking like a graveyard thanks to the no music after 10 p.m. order," wrote RGV, as the eminent director is popularly known.
He believes that Hyderabad must be the first international global city which has no music after 10 p.m. "Can't forget the look in some foreigners faces when the music stopped. They were looking at us like we are Taliban," he wrote
"It is as barbaric as Taliban to stop young people to have little fun after a hard day's work," he added.
"While your intentions are respected I think it's insulting to the youth for the government to have a talibanish outlook towards what they think is right and wrong in terms of the youth just having a good time," said RGV who tagged state Industry and Information Technology Minister K.T. Rama Rao and the Hyderabad Police Commissioner.
He also wrote that the net result of such 'Talibanish' orders will result in all concerned people running off from Hyderabad to Bengaluru.
"We made Tollywood more advanced than Bollywood .. Hyd Grafix and gaming In top place Hyderabad is no.1 destination and now we are going back to taliban style."
He wondered how Hyderabad was so advanced 20 years ago and stood as a role model to the entire country and now in 2022 "we are becoming the Taliban".
He recalled that in the times of rapid development of Hitech City the then Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu attracted investors by ensuring all comforts and minimum entertainment facilities are available and.
"Investors from advanced countries to come anywhere will principally ask 1. Is there an international airport? 2.Is there a golf course? 3.Is there an entertainment hub? 4.Is there a night life? Imagine them hearing no music after 10 p.m."
"Sound anywhere after 10 Pm is a problem should movies also be played silently with only picture and no sound ?? Should all vehicles be stopped ?? Should Hyderabad be barricaded to allow no vehicles after 10 PM ..Should all flights be banned after 10 PM ??," he asked.
He suggested that Telangana Police should concentrate on stopping drugs and not drums.
He said the policemen who do vigils at the pubs behave as if the youth and the pub management are some kind of criminals
"Please understand that by the time one comes back home from work, gets freshened up ,dresses up and drives through back breaking traffic to reach a pub it will be nearly 10 P M and then no music."
He said all concerned should speak up their inner feelings on the order via social media or in any other manner. "Anyone who remains silent in the face of oppression will find himself living, if not in a police state, at least in a police city."
