Why Ranbir Kapoor-Alia Bhatt cancelled their Ujjain Mahakal Temple visit? Controversy explained

Bollywood couple Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt were forced to call off their visit to Shree Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain today due to a massive protest by Bajrang Dal activists. 

According to the police, the couple was supposed to offer prayers on Tuesday for which the temple committee along with the district administration and the police had made elaborate security arrangements.

However, the Bajrang Dal activists opposed the actors’ entry based on an alleged remark made by Ranbir Kapoor in 2011 over the beef issue.

 The couple, who are expecting a baby, were to visit the temple as part of the promotion of their mega film “Brahmastra Part-1: Shiva”, which is scheduled to be published on September 9. Ayan Mukherji, the director of the film, later visited the temple to seek blessings. 

The director said it felt great after offering prayers at the temple ahead of the film`s release but refrained from saying anything about the protests.

Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra refuted reports that the star couple was stopped from visiting the temple and claimed that officials had instead requested them to go ahead. 

“No one stopped them from offering prayers, they decided on their own not to go there. The Ujjain administration has briefed me about entire episode. The couple was requested by the administration to go ahead to offer prayers. There was adequate security, but they decided to not go there. No one stopped them,” Mishra said. 

Meanwhile, the police detained one of the protesters after he got into a physical altercation with an officer on duty.

"We won`t allow Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt into the temple over the liking for beef remark. We`ll protest in big manner against local administration and police over the assault on our worker," Bajrang Dal leader Ankit Chaube had said.

The protests involve Ranbir Kapoor saying in 2011 that he likes beef. "I am a mutton, paya, beef...red meat guy. I'm a big beef guy," he had said during an interview.

Several users took to Twitter to share the over-a-decade-old video in which Ranbir can be seen speaking about his liking for beef. Posts have emerged with the hashtag #BoycottBrahmastra on Twitter.

Taking to Twitter, Congress Rajya Sabha member Priyanka Chaturvedi shared a post in which various b-town celebs could be seen posing with PM Narendra Modi, she wrote, "None of this photo op will help if you`ll continue to be mute spectators to hate and believe it`s not your business to talk politics. They will come after you anyway. Mahakaleshwar temple protests in Ujjain is a case in point. Shame that political prejudice is leading to such ugliness."