PUNE, India, 29 February 2008 — Activists of an extremist Hindu organization, Shiv Pratishthan, went on a rampage for the second day yesterday in Maharashtra’s Sangli district, protesting against the recently released movie Jodha-Akbar. The organization says the movie has hurt the sentiments of the Hindu community and the film’s script distorted historical facts.
The activists were also protesting the alleged beating of their leader Sambhajirao Bhide by police. The mob set fire to several cars and motorbikes and threw stones at police vehicles. The police later used tear gas to disperse them.
Activists of other Hindu militant organizations came to the city from Satara, Kolhapur and Belgaum to lend support to the agitation. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) General Secretary Gopinath Munde also arrived there in the afternoon.
