Receiver appointed amid Udaipur Palace entry dispute

The district administration has appointed a receiver to oversee a controversial portion of City Palace in Udaipur following tension over Vishvaraj Singh, the new ceremonial head of the erstwhile royal family, being denied entry.

Ghanta Ghar SHO Yogendra Vyas, who was appointed as the receiver by additional district magistrate Monday night, said possession of the controversial area could not be taken so far. He said that the situation remained under control on Tuesday.

Vishvaraj Singh, a Bharatiya Janata Party MLA, told reporters at his residence that visiting Dhuni was his right but he was stopped from doing so. He said that he would be going to Eklingnathji temple on Wednesday.

Markets near the City Palace also remained closed.

Collector Arvind Poswal said that a first information report (FIR) has been registered against unidentified persons in connection with the stone pelting reported last night. He said that efforts are being made to resolve the issue through dialogue with the two sides.

Three policemen were injured after stones were pelted at the palace's main gate from both sides.

The receiver's appointment came after supporters of Singh clashed with those of his paternal uncle Arvind Singh Mewar, who controls the City Palace, late on Monday.

Vishvaraj Singh was on Monday anointed titular head of the erstwhile Mewar royal family at a ceremony in Chittorgarh fort following the death of his father Mahendra Singh Mewar earlier this month.

After his anointment, Singh was scheduled to go to the City Palace to have darshan of the 'dhuni' (a religious place) and then visit the Eklingnathji temple.

However, Arvind Singh Mewar, the younger brother of Mahendra Singh Mewar who controls City Palace and, by extension, the 'dhuni' and the temple -- prevented Singh from entering.

Through his lawyer, Arvind Singh Mewar had published two public notices in local newspapers on Monday and warned of legal action against trespassing.

Police personnel were deployed in large numbers to handle the situation after the public notices were published.

Following the ceremony, Singh and a large number of his supporters reached Udaipur but were denied entry into City Palace. While Singh waited for several hours at Jagdish Chowk, a few metres from the palace gates, his supporters tried to cross the police barricades before starting a protest.

Collector Arvind Poswal and Superintendent of Police Yogesh Goyal later intervened and held talks with Singh and his cousin Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, the son of Arvind Singh Mewar, separately. The talks, however, remained inconclusive.

With tensions escalating in the matter, the additional district magistrate appointed Ghanta Ghar SHO Yogendra Kumar Vyas as receiver for the disputed portion between 'Badi Pol' to the 'dhuni'.

The notice of the receiver's appointment was also pasted on the palace's main gate.

Following the receiver's appointment, Singh returned around 1.30 am and went to his residence without having a 'darshan' of the 'dhuni'.