Padmaavat protest: 18 arrested over attack on a school bus in Gurugram

Karni Sena has been vehemently opposing the public screening of the film since last year as it allegedly hurt their sentiments by depicting queen Padmavati (Padmini) in a poor light.

The Haryana Police on Thursday arrested 18 people in connection with the attack on a school bus in Gurugram yesterday by some groups protesting against the released of movie Padmaavat. The arrested individuals would be produced before the Sohna Court later in the day.

The horrifying bus attack left the young passengers mortified as protesters threw stones at the vehicle. In order to save themselves from getting injured, terrified children crouched on the bus floor and others cried in panic.

Reports say the bus belonged to GD Goenka World School. The attack took place on Sohna Road near Delhi at around 3 pm on Wednesday. During the attack, at least 30 children with teachers and a staff member were inside the bus as they were on their way back home.

"It is a worrying incident, and I am sure there will be a solution to this whole issue today. We had not anticipated such an incident," Haryana Minister Ram Bilas Sharma told the media on Thursday.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal termed the shocking incident as "a matter of shame for the entire nation."

"Yesterday some people pelted stones on school children in #Gurugram. I couldn't sleep the entire night. If our children are pelted with stones on Republic Day eve, a few km away from nation's capital, it is a matter of shame for the entire nation," he added.

Since the last few days, protesters belonging to the Rajput Karni Sena and other groups have been attacking malls, multiplexes and setting vehicles on fire in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh.

Karni Sena has been vehemently opposing the public screening of the film since last year as it allegedly hurt their sentiments by depicting queen Padmavati (Padmini) in a poor light.

They are demanding a complete ban on Padmaavat, in spite of several scenes being deleted from the film, including changing the title from Padmavati to Padmaavat, as suggested by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

After the CBFC (also known as the Censor Board) approved the film, several states like Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh decided to ban the film. However, the Supreme Court has asked the states to release the film and provide security measures to thwart any violence.

OneIndia News