SC to hear Padmaavat plea today as violence escalates
NEWDELHI: Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh approached the Supreme Court on Monday seeking modification of an order that paved the way for Bollywood film Padmaavat’s nationwide release as violent protests against the period drama intensified across India.
A bench led by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra agreed to hear the applications on Tuesday after the states requested an urgent hearing and expressed fears of a law and order breakdown if the film is released as scheduled on Thursday.
The Shri Rajput Karni Sena, which has led the violent protests, also filed an application in the apex court, seeking to be heard in the matter. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological mentor of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), voiced its opposition to the film.
At the same time, street protests, violence and open threats continued through the day across north and central India.
In Gurgaon, a group of unidentified men created a ruckus at a mall. Shouting slogans against the release of Padmaavat, they smashed four LCD screens at the booking counter. Similar groups of protesters broke windows of buses in different locations in the city on Monday evening.
The first incident took place at a mall located in Sohna road while the buses were attacked on the Sector 37 highway.
Members of Rajput outfits caused disruptions in various districts of Rajasthan, including Rajsamand, Jalore and Pratapgarh.