Padmavati row: After Chittorgarh, entry to Kumbhalgarh Fort blocked
PROTEST SPREADS In Kota, Congress workers also demonstrate against the film’s release, hang Bhansali’s effigy JAIPUR:
Protestors led byShriRajput Karni Sena and members of Rajput community Saturday blocked entry to the Kumbhalgarh Fort in Rajsamand district “for some time” demanding a ban on the upcoming film ‘Padmavati’, aday after asimilar protest at Chittorgarh Fort against the movie.
“The entry was blocked for some time due to the protest and it resumed after the protest was over. Elaborate security arrangements were made in view of the protest, which ended peacefully,” Kumbhalgarh Circle Officer Chandan Singh said.
Themajestichill fort of Kumbhalgarh is the birthplace of legendary king Maharana Pratap andaUnescoworldheritagesite.
The Karni Sena workers on Friday hadblockedentryoftourists to Chittorgarh fort, but the situation was normal on Saturday. According to the Chittorgarh police, a person who allegedly fired in the air during the protest at Chittorgarh Fort, has been booked under the Arms Act, but he was not yet arrested.
Meanwhile, in Kota, nearly 200 Congress party workers demonstratedagainst the Sanjay Leela Bhansali-directed film. Theyhangedaneffigyofthefilmmaker at asquareinthecity.The protesters termed the Censor Board’s decision to return the film without certification a “political stunt” amid the proposedstate assemblyelections in Gujarat, a charge that was later negatedbyCentralBoardofFilm Certification chief PrasoonJoshi who said that the application for certification for the film was incomplete and thus was sent back.
In a separate statement, CongressleaderandformerKotaMP Ijyaraj Singh said “sentiments of the Rajput community regarding Rani Padmini” should be respected. Singh, who belongs to the erstwhile royal family of Kota, said the objectionable scenes from the film should be removed.
In Jaipur, Congress workers burnt effigies of Union information and broadcasting minister Smriti Irani and Bhansali demanding a ban on screening the movie.