BHOPAL: The opposition Congress termed the Hindu outfit's protest against actor Ranbir Kapoor and actress Alia Bhatt for a 'beef' statement as political terrorism.
On late Tuesday night, Bajrang Dal men protested against Ranbir's decade-old "I’m a big beef guy" statement, forcing the Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor and pregnant actress wife Alia Bhatt to return from Madhya Pradesh's temple city Ujjain, without offering prayers at the world-famous Mahakal Temple.
However, the state's home minister Narottam Mishra who virtually gave a clean chit to the saffron brigade, said, "No one stopped them (Ranbir and Alia) from worshipping at the temple, they themselves decided not to go there, despite requests by the local administration to go there and offer prayers."
The minister, known for his acute right-wing Hindu supportive stance, added, "Protest and the couple not offering prayers at the temple are separate matters. The action was already taken against the protestors, despite assurance by local administration and police of adequate security, they didn’t offer prayers at the temple due to personal reasons. However, other members of the film crew, including director Ayan Mukerji offered prayers at the temple."
Mishra did not fail to give a piece of advice to the actor couple. "Whoever it is, Ranbir or anyone else, the artists should avoid making statements that hurt the religious sentiments of people. We’ve still sought a detailed report about the entire incident from the Ujjain district administration, once the report is with us, the matter will become even clearer."
Reacting to the incident, the state Congress’s media wing head KK Mishra tweeted, "Frightened by political terrorism, the actor couple returned from Ujjain without offering prayers at the Mahakal Temple. As his habit goes, the home minister instead of acting against the hooligans, has actually given them a clean chit."
Taking to Twitter, Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Sharing Modi's old picture with film actors, she wrote, "None of this photo op will help if you'll continue to be mute spectators to hate and believe it’s not your business to talk politics. They will come after you anyway. Mahakaleshwar temple protests in Ujjain are a case in point. Shame that political prejudice is leading to such ugliness. This selective protest before every movie release has become an industry and a lobby, if not collectively pushed back we are fast heading into an abyss of hate, fear and silence. The entertainment industry is an employment generator, lakhs depend on it. Speak up."
On Tuesday evening, the entire cast and crew of the upcoming flick, Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva, flew from Mumbai to Indore, for offering prayers at Mahakal Temple. The Bajrang Dal protesters, holding black flags, were angry at Ranbir’s 2011 interview in which he had mentioned, "I'm a mutton, paya, beef...red meat guy. I’m a big beef guy."
Meanwhile, the Mahakal police booked a Bajrang Dal worker Dilip Lohar for assaulting a police officer during the protest. A police sub-inspector was also suspended for security-related aspects.
Emboldened by the success of the Bollywood couple leaving without offering prayers, the Bajrang Dal leader Ankit Chaube, who led the protests, said, "We in no case would have allowed them to enter the temple. We won’t allow any other proud beef eater entry into the Mahakal Temple in future also. We’re also going to report to the state’s home minister about the Ujjain district collector who played host to the beef eater Ranbir Kapoor and his wife at his official residence."