''Padmavati'' row: Protesters close entry to Chittorgarh Fort; fresh plea filed in SC

JAIPUR: Entry of tourists to Chittorgarh Fort, a UNESCO world heritage site, was on Friday closed as over one thousand protesters belonging to Sarv Samaj Dharam held a ‘dharna’ outside Padan Pol gate.

The members of Sarva Samaj Samithi closed down the historic gate of Chittorgarh Fort on Friday. PTI

Our Correspondent

Jaipur/ New Delhi, November 17

Entry of tourists to Chittorgarh Fort, a UNESCO world heritage site, was on Friday closed as over one thousand protesters belonging to Sarv Samaj Dharam held a ‘dharna’ outside Padan Pol gate.

Tourism was affected as most of the foreign tourists travelling in a special train were diverted to Udaipur.

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Someone in the crowd fired a few shots in the air from an old rifle during their dharna from 8 am to 5 pm, Additional SP Rajan Dushyant told The Tribune.

Police have identified the person, and a case was being lodged at the Kotwali police station, the ASP said, adding that otherwise it was a very peaceful sit-in amidst deployment of extra force around the fort.

Meanwhile, a fresh plea has been moved in the Supreme Court today to remove alleged objectionable scenes and registration of an FIR against the makers of the film.

A Bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud agreed to hear the plea but refused for urgent listing of the matter.

The petitioner, advocate ML Sharma, who mentioned the matter for urgent listing also sought a direction for removal of all scenes of alleged “character assassination” of queen Padmavati from the movie before its release.

The plea has sought directions to the Centre, the director of the movie Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Mukesh Ambani, the chairman of Viacom 18, which co-produces the movie along with the director and the Central Board of Film Certification.

The set of the movie was vandalised twice—in Jaipur and Kolhapur—and the director was roughed up by members of Karni Sena during the Jaipur schedule of the film earlier this year.

Complete rumour: Makers on ‘Padmavati’ being postponed

MUMBAI: The makers of the film have rubbished reports that the film, which is facing protest from several Rajput groups, has been postponed to January next year.

There have been reports saying that the makers plan to postpone the release of ‘Padmavati’ to January 12, following political pressure.

When contacted Ajit Andhare, Chief Operating Officer, Viacom18 Motion Pictures, told PTI, “ (It’s a) complete rumour.”

He also shared a statement on Twitter.

“Rumours of postponement of Padmavati are baseless,” he tweeted.

The Deepika Padukone-Ranveer Singh-Shahid Kapoor starrer Bollywood movie is slated for release on December 1. — With PTI