Padmaavat: Tepid response to bandh call in Guj; film not shown

A bandh call by the Rajput Karni Sena against the release of controversy-hit film "Padmaavat" today failed to make any major impact in Gujarat, but none of the theatres in the state screened the movie for security reasons.
Barring a few incidents, the situation remained peaceful, the state police control said.
The protesters tried to block roads in parts of Amreli, Surendranagar, Patan, Vadodara, Mehsana, Rajkot and Banaskantha districts by burning tyres, besides forcing shopkeepers to down shutters in Mehsana and Rajkot cities, the police said.
As announced yesterday by the Gujarat Multiplex Owners Association, none of the theatres, be it multiplexes or single-screen, showed the movie in the state.

The decision had been taken by the association after a mob, said to be associated with the Karni Sena and some other Rajput groups, set ablaze at least 30 motorcycles outside three multiplexes here on Tuesday night.
Life in major cities and towns today remained largely unaffected as educational institutions and commercial establishments remained open.

However, as a precautionary measure, the Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) suspended its bus services from Ahmedabad to Mehsana and Banaskantha, an official said.
"Since several buses were targeted on these routes in the last few days, we have suspended the bus services from Ahmedabad to Mehsana and Banaskantha of north Gujarat," Ahmedabad Divisional Controller A K Parmar said.

"We will resume services on these routes after assessing the situation. The buses on all other routes are running as per schedule," he added.
In Mehsana city, the police said they lobbed two tear gas shells when a mob which tried to block a road and shut shops near Modhera Cross Roads. No one was injured in the incident, they said.
"While normal life in Rajkot city remained unaffected, some people, claiming to be associated with the Karni Sena, came out on the roads and forced some shops and schools to shut," the police said.
Gujarat Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama yesterday announced that schools and colleges will remain open today as a majority of the Rajput bodies had agreed not to join the bandh, after theatre owners in the state declined to screen "Padmaavat".

Over 20,000 policemen as well as paramilitary personnel have been deployed across the state to thwart any attempt to disturb peace, the police said.
Although the multiplexes and theatres had announced their decision of not screening the movie, the police and paramilitary forces were deployed outside all the theatres in the city, an official said.
Along with the regular police force, 16 companies of paramilitary forces, such as the Border Security Force and Rapid Action Force, and nine companies of the State Reserve Police Force have been deployed in the state to maintain law and order, according to in-charge DGP Pramod Kumar.

The movie, featuring Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh in the lead roles, is based on the saga of a historic 13th century battle between Maharaja Ratan Singh and his army of Mewar and Sultan Alauddin Khilji of Delhi.