New Delhi: A day before the release of ‘Padmaavat’, protests against the film intensified across several states with members of several fringe outfits taking out rallies, blocking roads and damaging vehicles.
Earlier in the day, 48 people were arrested in Ahmedabad for indulging in violent acts over the film’s release. In fact, on Tuesday night, dissenting outfits unleashed violence and arson in parts of the city. Mobs attacked shops, torched vehicles, and pelted stones. The destroyed property included at least 200 vehicles, including bikes and cars, that were either set ablaze or damaged.
Subsequently, theatre owners across Gujarat on Wednesday announced their intention to not give the film a screening till the matter was resolved, to ensure “the safety of customers as well as to save their property.”
In Mumbai, more than 35 supporters of Rajput Karni Sena, one of the groups opposed to the film’s release, were detained. Police also arrested the Karni Sena’s Chittorgarh unit chief, after its spokesperson declared that over 1,900 women of the community were “ready” to commit “jauhar” or mass immolation.
