Mob Torches Bus, Pelts Stones In Protest Against Padmaavat At Gurugram's Sohna Road, Chittor Fort In Rajasthan Shuts Down

Meanwhile as the violence flaring up across Rajasthan against ‘Padmaavat’, many distributors in the state have decided not to release Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s controversial film

Outlook Web Bureau

Updated on: 25 January 2018 2:20 am

The widespread violence against film ‘Padmaavat’ has reached Gurugram as protesters set a bus on fire and pelted stones on Sohna Road in Haryana on Wednesday.

#WATCH: Protesters torched bus and pelted stones in protest against #Padmaavat at Gurugrams' Sohna Road. #Haryana pic.twitter.com/B13t6l8XuI
— ANI (@ANI) January 24, 2018

Video: Manoj Kumar; Editing: Suraj Wadhwa

A Haryana Roadways bus was set on fire near village Bhondsi in Gurugram allegedly by activists of Karni Sena.

This latest incident of hooliganism occurred despite Haryana Police claims that nobody would be allowed to disrupt peace in the state in the wake of the controversial movie's release tomorrow.

"A bus was burnt in the incident," said a police official in Gurguram adding that there was no loss of life in the incident.

Activists allegedly owing allegiance to Karni Sena were protesting against the release of the movie, an official said.

Significantly, few days back, Haryana director general of police BS Sandhu had cautioned trouble makers asserting that nobody would be allowed to disrupt peace in the state.

The police had also said that it would provide adequate security to the cinema halls that screen the movie on January 25.

A number of fringe groups had threatened multiplex, theatre and cinema hall owners against the screening of the movie alleging that it portrayed the character of 'Rani Padmavati' in "poor light".

Earlier, a group of unidentified hooligans had vandalized a shopping mall in Kurukshetra in January 21. Carrying sharp edged weapons and sticks, they broke the glasses panes of shops in the mall.

All clubs and bars in Gurugram have been ordered to be closed from 7 pm on Wednesday till further order in the light of protests against Padmavaat. Action will be taken against defaulters, said the Haryana police.

Meanwhile as the violence flaring up across Rajasthan against ‘Padmaavat’, many distributors in the state have decided not to release Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s controversial film, while magnificent the Chittor Fort in Chittorgarh has been shut down for a day –for the second time in its centuries-old history.

NDTV reported that the fort was shut down after members of the Karni Sena, which has led protests against the film, tried to break in.

Protesters on Wednesday blocked highways and vandalised property in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana and Maharashtra, to show their anger against the film, which, they allege, distorts the story of Queen Padmini and shows Rajputs in poor light, NDTV added.

As several Karni Sena activists were arrested on Wednesday morning across the country over the Jauhar threat, a spokesperson of the group had said "1,900 women have registered for the act".

Mumbai:

The police detained around 50 supporters of Karni Sena in the city.

"We have detained around 50 supporters of Karni Sena so far in different parts of Mumbai. They were taken into custody when they gathered for protesting against the film," a senior police official said.

More people are likely to be taken into preventive custody, he said.

Gujarat:

The Ahmedabad Police on Wednesday arrested 48 people from various locations under act of rioting for unleashing violence in the city.

"Incidents take place at three-four locations simultaneously. Police managed to stop protesters from entering multiplexes and malls. 48 people were picked up last night from various locations under act of rioting. Key conspirators identified after interrogation, four FIRs registered", AK Singh, Commissioner of Police (CP), Ahmedabad said.

A day before the Padmaavat’s release, the Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to give an urgent hearing plea filed by lawyer Manohar Lal Sharma seeking removal of certain scenes from the film.

The top court said it will hear the matter on Monday. Earlier on Tuesday, the apex court refused to modify its earlier order on the Bhansali magnum opus.

The top court last week set aside the notification passed by the states of Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat to ban the release of Padmaavat.

The epic drama, based on 16th-century Sufi poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi's epic poem 'Padmavat', is set to hit the cinema halls on January 25.

(With agency inputs)