Padmavati row intensifies, police lathicharge Karni Sena members in Rajasthan's Bhilwara

GURUGRAM: Members of Rajput Karni Sena on Saturday launched a fresh protest against Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Padmavati' on Saturday. 

In Haryana's Gurugram, the Karni Sena workers protested outside the deputy commissioners' office against the release of the movie.

"Have submitted a memorandum to deputy commissioner to ban 'Padmavati' in Haryana. We want a 100 percent ban and not a conditional ban on the movie," Karni Sena President Mahipal Singh Makrana said in Gurugram today. 

Have submitted a memorandum to deputy commissioner to ban #Padmavati in #Haryana. We want a 100% ban and not a conditional ban on the movie: Mahipal Singh Makrana, Karni Sena, President in #Gurugram pic.twitter.com/FBwToW0pEV — ANI (@ANI) November 25, 2017

In another incident, the Mewar Regional General Assembly and the Karni Sena called for a bandh in Rajasthan's Bhilwara today. Apart from Bhilwara, the shutdown was also observed in Mandal and Hamirgarh towns. 

During the demonstration, members staged a protest outside a Bhilwara movie theatre. The Sena members, as they continued the campaign against the movie, clashed with the staff of the theatre and created a ruckus inside it. 

#Rajasthan: Police baton charged members of Karni Sena while they were taking out protest rallies against #Padmavati film in Bhilwara, markets shut at various places. pic.twitter.com/BeTwMlH0T8 — ANI (@ANI) November 25, 2017

The members even took out protest rallies against the movie. 

As the protest intensified, the police resorted to lathicharge the protesters and arrested several members of the fringe outfit, said a report.

A week ago, the Karni Sena had vowed to stall the release of the movie and issued a warning that they would not allow it to hit theatres even if changes are made in the film by the makers. 

"My party members and I are totally against the film Padmavati's release. Even after the changes, we will not allow it to hit the theatres. We will come out on the streets along with other social organisations and protest against it if it gets a release date," Karni Sena chief Lokendra Singh Kalvi told reporters. 

The warning from Kalvi came after the producers of Padmavati reportedly said that they would take a call on its release only after the Censor Board's go-ahead.

Padmavati- based on the life of a Rajput Queen Rani Padmavati - is in the eye of the storm following protests from right-wing groups over alleged tampering with historical facts, a charge which Sanjay Leela Bhansali has categorically denied.

The film features Deepika Padukone in the titular role as Rani Padmavati, alongside Shahid Kapoor as Maharawal Ratan Singh and Ranveer Singh as Sultan Alauddin Khilji.

The release of the film, which was earlier slated for December 1, has now been deferred as the filmmakers are yet to secure a censor certificate. 

The Rajput Karni Sena had even called for a Bharat Bandh on December 1 to protest against the controversial film over what it calls ''blatant distortion of facts'' by its makers.