Right wing Hindu groups in India have intensified protests against the release of the controversial Bollywood film “Padmaavat” amid heightened police presence in various states on Wednesday.
The protests turned increasingly violent just after the day Supreme Court refused to allow some states to ban the film.
Agitated protesters vandalised around a number of multiplexes in the Western state of Gujarat on late Tuesday and dozens of motorcycles were set afire around malls that house theatres, according to a Reuters report.
Police had to open fire to disperse crowd and protests are expected to continue in various parts of the country ahead of the release of the film on Jan 25.
Rakesh Singh Bais of the community group Sarwa Kshatriya Mahasabha in central Indian state of Chhattisgarh said, the members of Hindu communities will form a human chain on Wednesday and stage a motorcycle rally to give cinema hall owners final warnings.
Groups critical of the project have accused its director, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, of distorting history by portraying a Muslim ruler as the “lover” of Queen Padmavati of the Hindu Rajput warrior clan.
The filmmakers have been denying the accusation.
O. P. Galhotra, the director general of police for Rajasthan, said they have information that members of the Karni Sena and other Rajput groups were planning a protest in various parts of the state against the movie.
Rajvansh Singh, the district secretary of the Karni Sena in the city of Chittorgarh in Rajasthan, said he is the custodian of the respect of Hindu Rajput women and anyone trying to depict history as fiction will have to pay a price for their mistake.
“We will not allow the movie to be released, the director thinks he can change the name and release his film this makes no sense. Queen Padmini is like our goddess, no one will be allowed to insult our goddess and our Hindu pride.”