India puts a hold on releasing The Da Vinci Code

May 17, 2006, 14:50 GMT

New Delhi - India has put a hold on the scheduled release of the film The Da Vinci Code following protests by Christian groups that the film was 'blasphemous,' it was reported Wednesday.

Federal Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi said nearly 300 organizations sent petitions seeking a ban on the film, saying it hurt the sensitivity of Christians.

'We are a democratic country with a secular fabric. We will have a relook at the film. I will watch the film with representatives of Catholic Church today to take a decision (whether it should be banned),' Dasmunsi told the NDTV network.

The Censor Board Monday cleared the film for release on May 19.

But the minister has directed the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) not to clear the film for screening until the government takes a final view, the Hindu newspaper reported.

Asked why the Indian government had taken such a decision when even the Vatican had not demanded a ban on the film, Dasmunsi said people from several religions lived in the country and the government had to be sensitive to people from all faiths.

India banned Salman Rushdie's controversial book The Satanic Verses - which sparked violent protests from Muslims worldwide - when many European countries had not done so, Dasmunsi said.

No other major country, including those where Catholics are in majority, has so far taken steps to stop the release of the film, the Asian Age reported.

The controversial movie, starring Oscar-winning actor Tom Hanks, is based on the best-selling novel by American author Dan Brown. The novel challenges traditional teachings about the life of Jesus by saying he was married and fathered a child.

The book's plot is a murder-mystery involving a conspiracy by Opus Dei, a real-life conservative Catholic group, to cover up the truth about Jesus' bloodline.

It is estimated that 18 million of India's 24 million Christian population are Roman Catholics. Christians form 2.4 per cent of India's billion-plus population, 82 per cent of whom are Hindus and 12 per cent Moslems.