Udaipur: A violent clash broke out between supporters of MLA Vishvaraj Singh and representatives of the Udaipur City Palace on Monday night, resulting in stone-pelting after he was blocked from entering the palace.
Vishvaraj Singh was anointed as the head of the erstwhile royal family in Chittorgarh fort on Monday morning, following the demise of his father Mahendra Singh Mewar earlier this month. However, a cloud of a feud between Mahendra Singh Mewar and his estranged younger brother Arvind Singh Mewar -- who are descendants of Rajput king Maharana Pratap -- hung over the occasion.
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. Policemen were deployed outside the gates of the City Palace to maintain law and order after Arvind Singh's notices were issued in the morning. His notices published in local newspapers warned of legal action for trespass or damage to the property.
After the ceremony in Chittorgarh fort, Vishvaraj Singh and his supporters reached Udaipur in the evening to visit the City Palace and the Eklingnathji temple but they could not enter due to heavy police deployment.
Vishvaraj Singh's supporters tried to cross the barricading but the police stopped them.
Senior police officials, Udaipur collector Arvind Poswal and SP Yogesh Goyal spoke to Vishvaraj Singh and his supporters and tried to resolve the issue. They also spoke to Arvind Singh's son but the talks remained inconclusive. After being denied entry, Vishvaraj Singh and his supporters moved to Jagdish Chowk, which is just a few metres away from the City Palace.
According to the District Collector Poswal, following the clashes, the district administration has taken the disputed Dhuni Mata Temple site into receivership.
The dispute is the latest chapter in the long-standing rivalry within the royal family. Vishvaraj Singh’s anointment as Maharana has deepened the divide, with factions loyal to Arvind Singh opposing his ascension.
