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Friday June 2, 2006

Seven of India's 29 states ban screening of "The Da Vinci Code"

HYDERABAD, India (AP): Seven of India's 29 states have banned screening "The Da Vinci Code,'' with officials in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh saying Friday the movie was insulting to Christians.

Andhra Pradesh on Thursday became the latest Indian state to ban the film, which was to be released there on Friday.

"We have taken the decision because the release of the movie could have led to demonstrations and trouble,'' Paul Bhuyan, the special chief secretary of Andhra Pradesh, told The Associated Press.

"The minority organizations have pointed out that the film's story line attacked the very heart of the Holy Gospel, destroying the divinity of Jesus Christ,'' Bhuyan said.

Like the best-selling novel on which it is based, the movie's plot centers on the premise that Jesus married Mary Magdalene, with whom he bore children.

Christians comprise just one percent of Andhra Pradesh's nearly 80 million people _ and only about 2 percent of India's billion people, most of whom are Hindu.

The other six states _ among them, two with large Christian minorities, Goa and Kerala _ banned the film in recent weeks, also citing the concerns of many Christians who say it maligns their faith.

Still, the film has packed threaters in India's 22 other states since being released on May 26, a week after its worldwide release.

In Hyderabad, the capital of Andhra Pradesh, Roman Catholic Bishop Marampudi Joji on Friday welcomed the ban on the film. "We appreciate the decision and we are grateful to the state government,'' he said.

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