Bangalore: In a dramatic twist to the ongoing film crisis, all members of the working committee of the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) today (Oct 12, 2004) resigned enmasse, accusing KFCC of "total apathy and inaction" against theatre owners "who have blatantly violated" the seven-week moratorium on release on non-Kannada films.

"We will not allow any relaxation on the seven week condition and have demanded the resignation of the President of the Karnataka Film Exhibitors' Federation, Oodugowder", well-known film director Rajendra Singh Babu said at a joint press conference with Karnataka Film Producers' Association President Basant Kumar Patil and others.

Patil condemned the "inaction" of the Chamber as well as the police to control attack on journalists and pro-Kannada agitators" and also their "total failure" in taking stringent action against theatre owners who had defied the moratorium.

While the agitators "fighting for Kannada culture" were arrested the theatre owners "who engineered the violence" were let off the hook, he alleged.

He said the committee had already "informed" the Film Federation of India and the South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce that, "No talks will be held with them till non-Kannada films which have been released in the State are withdrawn".

The tussle between Kannada film producers and theatre owners, now on for several weeks took a violent turn with agitators from pro-Kannada organisations attacking theatres showing non-Kannada films like "Dhoom" (Hindi) and "Bride and Prejudice" in Bangalore last week in which two journalists also sustained injuries.