Traffic chaos

The dignitaries will attend the main event of the Asean-india Commemorative Summit on Thursday and the Republic Day parade on Rajpath the next day. Their itinerary includes a visit to Rashtrapati Bhavan for the President’s at-home function on Friday afternoon.

The road restrictions will be lifted from 7pm on Wednesday till midnight. No route will be closed completely for the public on Wednesday and Thursday, but commuters could be stopped for some time to let the dignitaries pass, traffic police chief Dependra Pathak said.

“The traffic police will be out in full strength on the roads on these four days to ensure smooth flow of traffic and minimum inconvenience to the commuters,” Pathak said.

The traffic police expect people to visit public places such as India Gate over the long weekend that starts with the Republic Day. announced that it will resort to a ‘public curfew’ the day the movie is released.

The announcement came even as a member of the Akhil Bhartiya Chhatriya Mahasabha Sukhbir Singh Bhadoria in Bareilly threatened “to plant bombs in cinema halls that would show the film”.

In its application before the apex court, Madhya Pradesh government said despite the January 18 order that stayed bans on Padmaavat by four states and instructed governments to provide security, many incidents of violence and vandalism had taken place.

“...despite the state’s obligation and best endeavours to protect the freedom of speech and maintain law and order, it is likely that the release of the film may cause breach of peace,” it said.

Rajasthan said it will have to divert forces from Lok Sabha bypolls scheduled on January 29 to provide security for the movie.

In Jaipur, Karni Sena members issued open threats to cinema hall owners and two film distributors refused to make the film available.

The Rajasthan unit of the RSS voiced its protest but condemned any violence. “We have objections to the film. Wrong portrayal of things must not be done,” said Manoj Kumar, an RSS spokesperson.

In Madhya Pradesh, various caste-based organisations blocked roads in Ujjain, Neemuch, Indore and Dewas and burnt posters of the film. In Bhopal, protesters threatened cinema hall owners if they screened the film.

“We will not allow the release of the movie as it is a matter of our pride. We are ready to give our lives,” said Karni Sena spokesperson Shivraj Singh Chandrawat. The group has already announced that Rajput women will commit Jauhar, a self-sacrifice ritual, if the film is released.

Violence also singed Gujarat, where tyres and buses were burnt in Surat and a singlescreen theatre in Ahmedabad vandalised. “No one would be allowed to break law and order. Patrolling vans will also do videography and all the miscreants will be booked,” said director general of police Pramod Kumar.

IN LUCKNOW, THE KARNI SENA ANNOUNCED

THAT IT WILL RESORT TO A ‘PUBLIC CURFEW’ THE DAY THE MOVIE IS RELEASED