The heat of the ‘Jodhaa Akbar’ protests in Rajasthan hit Sunday crowds in the rest of the country as the Rajput community stepped up protests against "distortion of history" in the Mughal period drama.
Hundreds of Rajput activists staged demonstrations at a multiplex in Gurgaon. In Ahmedabad, protesters armed with lathis entered a cinema when the show was on and shouted slogans against director Ashutosh Gowariker. Agitating Rajput community members tore posters of the film at another cinema in Patna.
Over 150 people protesting against the film in Gurgaon, disrupted the screening and vandalised posters and advertisements. The protesters gathered around the MGF Metropolitan Mall on M G Road at noon demanding that the screening of the movie be stopped. Cops took guard at DLF City Centre, another multiplex, also screening the film.
Though two youths were picked up by police, they were later let off. "There was no need for arrests. We managed to disperse the protesters. The screening of the movie also resumed, said Satheesh Balan, DCP (Gurgaon east).
The protesters alleged that the director of the film and actors had hurt the sentiments of the community and played a cruel joke on their culture. "This cannot be tolerated. In the 16th century Rajput girls never came out of their homes, so how could there be a love affair between Jodha Bai and Akbar. They have manipulated the facts and history for commercial gain, said Bhupender Singh, a protester.
A mob of 100-125 men holding saffron flags with ‘Rajput’ written on them barged into Galaxy cinema at Naroda around 10.30 am. The disruption forced the cinema owner to postpone all shows of the film "till the situation returns to normal. The cinema hall owners were also roughed up by the mob.
Activists of Jan Kalyan Kshatriya Manch, an organisation of the Rajput community, tore posters of the film outside the Ahshok Cinema in Patna where it was scheduled for release at noon.
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