The streets outside the Udaipur Palace looked deserted today after a royal family feud led to clashes last night over BJP MLA and the new Maharana of Mewar Vishvraj Singh Mewar being denied entry into the palace.
Vishvraj Singh, the BJP MLA from Rajsamand, had gone to offer prayers at temples managed by a trust run by his cousin Dr Lakshay Raj Singh and uncle Shreeji Arvind Singh Mewar. Denied entry into the city palace, where one of the temples is located, his supporters got angry and stone-pelting ensued.
The administration has now taken over the road that leads to the temple to allow Mr Singh to visit the temple with three-tier security.
"The district administration has moved to take the disputed site of Dhuni Mata Temple into receivership. If either of the two groups wants to register a case, it will be registered," said District Collector Arvind Kumar Poswal.
Visuals from Udaipur this morning showed police barricades on empty streets adjacent to the palace. The road connecting the Janana Mahal and the Dhuni Mata temple has been sealed by the authorities.
Vishvraj Singh was recently anointed as the 77th Maharana of Mewar at a traditional coronation ceremony in the historic Chittorgarh Fort after the death of his father Mahendra Singh Mewar. After his symbolic coronation, he decided to seek blessings from his family deity, Dhuni Mata, whose temple is located inside the palace, and the Ekling Shiv temple about 50 km from Udaipur.
Since both temples are managed by the Shree Eklingji Trust, run by Arvind Singh Mewar, the administration had requested the Trust to allow a few erstwhile nobles inside the palace to visit the temple. They had also erected barricades, sensing that the situation could turn violent.
After Mr Singh was denied entry, his supporters got angry and tried to break the barricades and gate close to the gates. Stones were thrown from both sides as the situation escalated and at least three people were injured in the clashes.
The Maharana called the incident "unfortunate" and told reporters that disputes over properties should not hinder traditions.
Mr Singh stood with his supporters for hours and left late at night after requests from the administration. He told his supporters that the administration would take action in the morning and they have assured him of darshan. Calling for a peaceful protest, the titular Maharana appealed to his supporters not to take the law into their own hands and to return the next morning.