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Bajrang Dal activists prevented Bollywood actors Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt from entering the famous Mahakaleshwar Temple in Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain on Tuesday night over Ranbir Kapoor's alleged comments about eating meat he had made in the past.
Protesters led by local Bajrang Dal leader Ankit Chaube had gathered outside the temple to block the actor couple's entrance, due to Ranbir's 2011 statement on beef consumption.
Hearing about the protests outside the temple, the actor couple reportedly returned from Ujjain to Indore without offering prayers at the temple, due to the security threat, particularly to the pregnant Alia.
Bajrang Dal stops Ranbir Kapoor
In a viral video, an activist from Bajrang Dal said they were peacefully protesting by showing only black flags to Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt, who were scheduled to visit the temple, but the police started attacking them with batons. “We are protesting against Ranbir Kapoor and we will not let him enter the Mahakal temple. He made derogatory statements against our gaumata. He had said that eating beef is good,” he said.
Confirming the incident, an officer from the Mahakaleshwar Police Station told PTI that they resorted to cane-loading to disperse the protesters. Bajrang Dal workers raised 'Jai Shriram' slogans as the performers arrived at the temple grounds for darshan.
"We will not allow them to worship in the holy temple of Mahakaleshwar, as Ranbir said a few days ago that he likes to eat lamb, chicken and beef in non-vegetarian food," Bajrang Dal leader Ankit Choube told reporters. Even Alia had said that those who want to see her Brahmastra movie should watch it, while others who aren't interested shouldn't, he claimed.
"We will not allow Ranbir and Alia to enter the temple as he has hurt Hindu feelings by making statements of support. We will launch a movement against the management and police for arresting and assaulting our Bajrang Dal worker." Bajrang Dal leader Ankit Chaube said.
"I had a great desire to offer prayers at the Baba Mahakal temple before the film's release. It feels very good after offering prayers here," said the film's director, Ayan Mukerji, after the prayers. However, he avoided commenting on the protests.
What is the meat controversy?
While promoting his movie Rockstar in 2011, Kapoor stated that he liked to eat beef. "My family is from Peshawar, so a lot of Peshawari food has come with them. I'm a fan of lamb, paya and beef. Yes, I'm a big fan of beef."
The old video has resurfaced before the release of Brahmastra, and Kapoor is referred to as the "Peshawar meat boy" by right-wing social media users who have called for the film to be "boycotted" on these grounds.
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