‘Ram’ calls MLA Ravan, refuses to burn effigy at event
JAIPUR: Hundreds of people flock to watch the Ramleela organised by the municipal council in Rajasthan’s Sirohi town on Dussehra every year.
This year, however, there was a twist. The actor playing Lord Ram refused to shoot the arrow to burn Ravan’s effigy. Instead, actor Manoj Kumar Mali called the BJP’s mandal president in Sirohi, Suresh Sagarvanshi, the demon king.
“The actual Ravan is sitting on stage, politicising every issue. Given this scenario, Lord Ram has to return disappointed,” said Mali. He alleged that the committee presided over by Sagarvanshi gets more money as a grant from the municipal council than all the other committees.
“Sagarvanshi is known to do politics over trivial issues. In Sirohi there are around 20 Garba committees that organise cultural programmes during Navratri,” Mali told HT. “All other committees get ₹11,000 while the one where Sagarvanshi is involved gets ₹31,000. Moreover, even though the programme was organised by the municipal council, most of the councillors were not present which again suggested petty politics at play,” he added.
The organisers and politicians were left in a tough spot after Mali, with 100 people from his group portraying the roles of various gods, goddesses and the Vanar Sena, walked out. The organisers had to dress a child in audience as Ram, who finally fired the arrow to burn the effigy.
Sagarvanshi denied the allegations. “The incident was incited by a handful of people to create ruckus. The celebrations I am associated with is the biggest in the city and so the expenses are also more,” he told HT.