After the attack on a school bus by anti-Padmaavat protestors, some reputed schools in Gurugram have decided to remain shut till Sunday in view of the violence over the controversial film’s release.
The schools which have decided to shut down till Sunday includes Pathways school, G D Goenka school, Shiv Nadar school and DelhiPublic School.
The management of the schools confirmed that they would close down as a precaution despite the district administration and the Gurgaon police assuring adequate security.
Around 25 students of G D Goenka World School were on their way home when a group of around 60 activists, believed to be members of a fringe group, attacked the bus with bamboo sticks asking the driver to stop the vehicle.
Meanwhile, cinema and multiplex owners firm in at least four states — Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh — decided not to screen the controversial film in the wake of threats from Rajput outfits and other fringe elements which vandalised malls, burned vehicles, and issued open threats to theatre owners and public in their bid to stall its release, claiming distortion of history.
However, cinema and multiplex owners in the five southern states and other big states like Maharashtra and West Bengal are going ahead with the screening as per schedule.
Defying threats by protesting groups, hundreds in different parts of the country turned up to watch the movie at theatres amid tight security.
The Mumbai Police is maintaining a strict vigil outside theatres in the wake of protests.
The Mumbai police on Wednesday took more than 100 supporters of the Karni Sena into preventive custody as they gathered to hold protests against the film at various places, an official said.
As the Republic Day preparations are also going on in the country’s financial capital, the police have already issued a general alert and security personnel are on their toes to avoid any untoward incident, he said.
The film, which releases nationwide on Thursday, is based on the saga of the historic 13th century battle between Maharaja Ratan Singh and his army of Mewar and Sultan Alauddin Khilji of Delhi.
It stars Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh in lead roles.
It faces opposition from fringe Rajput groups, who allege that the film distorts history and show Queen Padmavati in “poor light”. The filmmakers have denied the allegations.
The movie was previously slated for release on December 1, but it had to be postponed as the makers had not got a certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification till then.
With inputs from PTI, Agencies
Source: Rediff