'Nobody stopped Ranbir, Alia', says Madhya Pradesh minister; ‘An artist shouldn't use such word'

Madhya Pradesh home minister Narottam Mishra said the Ujjain administration made arrangement for Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt's visit to the temple, but they decided not to go because of the protests. “Those who came along with them, director Ayan Mukherji visited the temple,” the minister said.

Madhya Pradesh home minister Dr Narottam Mishra on Wednesday said nobody stopped Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt from the darshan at Ujjain's Mahakal temple. Like Ayan Mukherji paid his visit to the temple, Ranbir and Alia were also requested to visit but they decided not to go because of the protest. "I have talked with the administration. They informed me that arrangement was made for their visit. But they decided to not proceed. Protest, be it on any issue, is a different subject. They were not stopped from darshan. Those who accompanied them went inside the temple," Narottam Mishra said.

फिल्म अभिनेता रणबीर कपूर और अभिनेत्री आलिया भट्ट के महाकाल बाबा के दर्शन की पूरी व्यवस्था उज्जैन प्रशासन ने की थी, लेकिन प्रशासन के आग्रह के बावजूद रणबीर और आलिया खुद दर्शन के लिए नहीं गए।

वैसे लोगों की भावनाओं को आहत करने वाले शब्दों का प्रयोग कलाकारों को नहीं करना चाहिए। pic.twitter.com/uiWB2tf9Hj — Dr Narottam Mishra (@drnarottammisra) September 7, 2022

"Also, an artist should not use words which hurt the sentiments of people," the minister said on Bajrang Dal's protest at Ujjain on Tuesday against Ranbir Kapoor for his 2011 statement supporting beef-eating.

Ahead of the release of Brahmastra on September 9, the team including Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt went to visit the Mahakal temple in Ujjain. Bajrang Dal activists staged a protest on Tuesday and said Ranbir and Alia will not be allowed to enter the temple. The Bajrang Dal workers claimed that they were protesting peacefully showing black flags but the police cane-charged the protesters. “We will not allow them to worship at the holy Mahakaleshwar temple as a few days back Ranbir had said that he likes to eat mutton, chicken and beef in non-veg food,” Bajrang Dal leader Ankit Choube said. Police said they had to cane-charge after a protester started fighting with the police officers.

"Due to a VIP movement at the temple, we were taking security calls and the protesters were asked to stay behind the barricading, a member from Bajrang Dal came and started breaching the security due to which we had to take the following security calls," police officer OP Mishra said.

Ranbir Kapoor is at the receiving end of social media trolling and hatred because of the 2011 interview where he said he loved Peshawari food. "I am a mutton, paya, and beef fan. Yeah, I am a big beef fan," he can be heard saying in that old vido, which is doing the rounds on social media just ahead of the release of Brahmastra.