Not behind Gurugram school bus attack, insists Rajput Karni Sena chief Lokendra Kalvi

Jaipur: Lokendra Singh Kalvi, the head of Shri Rajput Karni Sena which is spearheading the protests against director Sanjay Leela Bhansali's controversial film Padmaavat, on Thursday warned that his outfit will continue its ongoing agitation till the Bollywood film is banned.

Kalvi, however, said that he has asked the Karni Sena workers not to protest on the Republic Day.

"On the occasion of Republic Day on Friday, we have appealed to our workers to give it (the agitation) a break," he told reporters here.

Rejecting charges that members of his outfit were behind the attack on a school bus in Haryana's Gurugram on Wednesday, Kalvi said that a Central Bureau of Investigation or a judicial probe can be called into the incident.

"We are ready to face it. We never attacked innocent kids," Kalvi said.

The Karni Sena chief also said the 'junta curfew' called by them has been successful as the movie was not released in many cities.

Amid violent protests against the release of director Sanjay Leela Bhansali's controversial movie Padmaavat, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia today said he will watch the film with Rajput leaders and brief the people about it later.

Sisodia also strongly condemned the attack on a school bus in Haryana's Gurugram allegedly by the members of Shri Rajput Karni Sena on Wednesday over the release of "Padmaavat".

"I am myself a Rajput. I was totally moved because of yesterday's (Wednesday) incident. This is a criminal act. I have invited many Rajput leaders to discuss the recent developments and the violence (centering the movie). We are totally against these acts," Sisodia told media persons here.

"I and many other Rajput leaders will watch 'Padmaavat' today (Thursday) and see what is the reality and then will brief people about the film," he said.

Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also spoke about the violence triggered by those opposing the movie.

Delhi CM Kejriwal also condemned the attack on the school bus in Gurugram by suspected Karni Sena supporters and called for strict action against them. 

The Delhi Chief Minister called the incident a "matter of shame for the entire nation". 

Stating that fringes have no religion or caste, Kejriwal said, "these elements are now after our children because of our silence".

In a related incident, the Supreme Court today agreed to hear a batch of petitions against four state- governments - Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana - for not taking adequate steps to ensure law and order situation before the release of the film'.

Congress leader Tehseen Poonawalla today informed that the apex court has agreed to hear the petitions on Monday.

"The Honorable Supreme Court has agreed to hear my petition on Monday. I prayed to the Honorable Supreme Court that its judgment with regard to film Padmaavat on January 18 is not being followed, while the law and order situation is being violated", Poonawalla was quoted as saying by ANI.

Besides the plea filed by Poonawalla, the apex court will also hear a couple of petitions against the four states on the same day.

Referring to the violent protests by suspected members of fringe groups, including Rajput Karni Sena, the Congress leader also referred to the Gurugram incident where a school bus ferrying nursery students was attacked on Wednesday by a mob protesting against the controversial film.

''It is a state government's responsibility to see that its people are abiding by the Supreme Court's decision,'' he said.

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi also hit out at the BJP in the wake of the attack on the school bus in Gurugram allegedly by Karni Sena supporters over the release of 'Padmaavat' and accused the saffron party's "hatred politics" for "setting the nation on fire".

"There will never be a cause big enough to justify violence against children. Violence and hatred are the weapons of the weak,'' he said. 

"The BJP's use of hatred and violence is setting our entire country on fire," Rahul Gandhi said in his tweet hours after a video of scared children crouching in the school bus targeted by hooligans protesting the Sanjay Leela Bhansali movie surfaced triggering a nationwide outrage.

The Karni Sena has been protesting vociferously against the Sanjay Leela Bhansali movie, which they say distorts history. It released nationwide on Thursday barring some states.

(With Agency inputs)