Bowing to public pressure and Christian organisations who have been up in arms against the controversial film The Da Vinci Code, Goa government on Monday decided to ban the screening of the movie in the state.

"The movie would be banned for screening in the state," Chief Minister Pratapsingh Rane today declared emerging out from a state cabinet meeting.

The cabinet, which met this afternoon, resolved to ban the movie in the state onsidering "public sentiments".

Congress member of Parliament (South) Churchill Alemao on Sunday had warned to storm the Inox multiplex, which was showing the movie. The Inox management, however, had withdrawn the movie claiming that their step was to respect public sentiments.

The state cabinet during its last meeting had decided to write to the Censor Board and Information and Broadcasting Ministry asking them "not to release the film."

However, subsequently the film was not released in Goa even when it was released all over India. Last week, Inox multiplex in Panaji began screening the movie, triggering public opposition to it.