'Padmaavat' Protest: Karni Sena call for Gujarat bandh

AHMEDABAD: Claiming their talks with the state government, led by MoS home Pradipsinh Jadeja and education minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, had failed, the Shri Rajput Karni Sena and the Shri Rashtriya Karni Sena have announced they will extend their ‘Bharat Bandh’ against the release of Padmaavat to Gujarat.
Earlier, Raj Shekhawat, president of Shri Rashtriya Karni Sena, after meeting the two Rajput ministers announced that they will call off the bandh as multiplex owners decided not to release the film following the violence of Tuesday evening.Later, Karni Sena Gujarat in-charge, Meghsingh Shekhawat termed the Raj Shekhawat-led Karni Sena ‘fake’ and announced that the bandh call was for the state too.
Meghsingh said, “The government tried to cheat us by calling fake Karni Sena members and other Rajput members and then announced that all is well. When home minister Pradipsinh Jadeja called me, I told him we will not tolerate this and the bandh will happen in Gujarat. Later, Raj Shekhawat apologized and assured his Sena’s support.”
Asked about law and order, he said, “We will hold a peaceful bandh and hospitals, milk and grocery shops and medical stores will be allowed to remain open.”
Raj Shekhawat backtracked from his earlier statement and said, “The state government tried its best to stop the release of Padmaavat and we are happy at that. Later I was told that Karni Sena will hold peaceful protest so I will also support the bandh call.”