Police shut all discos in Indian city

Police have shut all the discos in India's southern city of Madras.

The city's police commissioner says he took the action because they were allowing dances contrary to Indian culture.

It is the first blanket ban imposed on discos. At least 10, including four located in five-star hotels, have been ordered shut.

Police Commissioner Muthukaruppan told reporters: "The owners of the present discotheques were issued licences to run only cultural centres. But they were allowing dances that do not conform to Indian culture.

"All sorts of dances by half-dressed men and women were allowed here. So the city police has decided not to issue any fresh licence to those centres."

Madras police recently raided a few discotheques and claimed to have found nudity and obscenity.

Muthukaruppan is also banning the sale of condoms that have nude pictures on the cover, which are sold at street corners.

Madras discos have been living under the shadow of a ban for some time. A few months ago a ban was declared then lifted just as suddenly.

Neena Reddy, of Savera Group of Hotels, said: "This ban is just not fair to the hotel industry. We are trying to generate income during the present slump."