BJP MLA Vishvaraj Singh and his supporters were denied entry into Udaipur's City Palace on Monday, shortly after he was declared the titular head of the former royal family of Mewar. The situation outside the palace remained tense, with heavy police deployment to prevent any untoward incidents. Reports suggest stones were hurled from within the palace premises.
Vishvaraj Singh was anointed as the head of the erstwhile royal family at Chittorgarh Fort on Monday morning, following the recent demise of his father, Mahendra Singh Mewar. However, the event was overshadowed by a long-standing feud between Mahendra Singh Mewar and his estranged younger brother, Arvind Singh Mewar, both descendants of the legendary Rajput king Maharana Pratap.
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Vishvaraj Singh’s uncle Arvind Singh issued a public notice against the newly annointed royal family head’s planned visit to the Eklingnath temple of the family deity and the City Palace in Udaipur as part of rituals of the royal ceremony.
Both the temple and the palace are under the control of Arvind Singh who is the chairman and managing trustee of Shree Eklingji Trust in Udaipur. Police were deployed outside the City Palace gates to maintain law and order following notices issued by Arvind Singh earlier in the day. Published in local newspapers, the notices warned of legal action for trespassing or causing damage to the property. After the anointment ceremony at Chittorgarh Fort, Vishvaraj Singh and his supporters arrived in Udaipur in the evening to visit the City Palace and the Eklingnathji temple but were unable to enter due to the heavy police presence.