Shops vandalised in Gurugram mall, 'Padmaavat' protesters suspect

Over three dozen masked people on Monday attacked and vandalised shops in Raheja Mall, located on Sohna Road here, where controversial Bollywood movie "Padmaavat" is scheduled to be released on January 25, police said.

The eateries in the mall were mostly targeted by them.

A group of nearly three dozen people with their faces covered first blocked the traffic on the Delhi-Gurugram Expressway. They also gathered on the Narsinghpur stretch of the expressway and blocked the traffic for some time.

The expressway was also blocked for some time by unidentified persons at Khandsa Road in the district.

"We are trying to find out whether the people involved in vandalism in the mall and those blocking the road were the same," a senior police officer told IANS

Earlier in the day, Shri Rajput Karni Sena chief Lokendra Singh Kalvi said: "The governments are all set to release of Bollywood movie 'Padmaavat' after the Supreme Court's order. We too are prepared to stop the Sanjay Leela Bhansali's flick which has a doctored version of the great history of the country."

Speaking to media persons, Kalvi spoke strongly against the release of the period drama, starring Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor, demanding "nothing less than nation-wide ban on the movie".

After facing protests since the film went on the floors, "Padmaavat" is set for worldwide release on January 25.

Protests against the Bhansali directorial took a violent turn in the past, with the Karni Sena and other fringe outfits vandalising the film's sets, issuing threats to Deepika and Bhansali and even demanding that the film not see the light of day.

Kalvi said that the film had hurt their community's sentiments by showing a dream sequence between Rani Padmini, the titular character played by Deepika, and Muslim ruler Alauddin Khilji, portrayed by Ranveer Singh.

He said he received a letter from Bhansali on Sunday assuring to show him the movie before its release, but he had not mentioned the date and time, as also when and where the film would be shown. He said: "I have sent reply to the letter."

Asked about the protests against the movie in various states by Karni Sena activiats, Kalvi said: "These were not communal. We have all right to protest peacefully."

"Bhansali earlier decided to release the movie on December 1, but he could not. He will not be successful to bring it to cinema halls even on January 25, though he has changed the film's name from 'Padmavati' to 'Padmaavat'..."

--IANS

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