Bajrang Dal members vandalise Ashram 3 set, attack director Prakash Jha in Bhopal

Prakash Jha and his team were attacked by Bajrang Dal members when they were shooting Ashram 3 in Bhopal.  The Bajrang Dal reportedly threatened that it would not allow the shooting of this web series further. Speaking to PTI, Superintendent of Police (SP), Bhopal south, Sai Krishna Thota, said, “Bajrang Dal activists objected that this web series hurt the sentiments of Hindus as it contains obscene scenes." The protesters also threw ink on Prakash Jha and pelted stones, damaging the windscreens of two busses and injuring one person. Prakash Jha and team of ‘Ashram 3’ were reportedly shooting at Old Jail Premises area located in Arera Hills. Police personal had reached the spot soon after and brought the situation under control. According to PTI, no one has been arrested yet in this case.

Bajrang Dal's state convener Sushil Surhele told PTI, “Prakash Jha wrongly portrayed the arrangements in a Hindu ashram in its previous seasons by showing the exploitation of women by gurus. There have been ashrams in sanatan dharma since the past thousand years that played important role in building social values. There is no truth in what has been shown in this web series. We blackened the face of Prakash Jha and are searching for Bobby Deol, who should learn from his elder brother Sunny Deol (Bollywood actor and BJP MP), who has played roles in patriotic movies." The Producers Guild of India,  condemned the attack. In its statement the Producers Guild wrote, "The Producers Guild of India strongly condemns the brazen acts of violence, harassment and vandalism faced by the crew involved in the production of the series Ashram in Bhopal. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident and the Guild is alarmed to note the frequency with which the production and exhibition sectors are severely and illegally disrupted by various elements with impunity". The Guild further urged the relevant authorities to take action against the perpetrators.