Indian government officials were compelled to intervene on Tuesday at the luxurious hilltop City Palace in Udaipur, located in India's desert state of Rajasthan, following disputes between rival royal brothers that led to clashes between stone-throwing loyalists outside its fortified gates.
Police officers encircled the 450-year-old City Palace in Udaipur after tensions escalated on Monday night when the older brother, Vishvaraj Singh, head of the historic royal family of Mewar, was denied entry by his younger brother, Arvind Singh. However, top district administration official Arvind Kumar Poswal assured reporters on Tuesday that the 'law and order situation is well under control' and that 'talks are ongoing with palace representatives.' Government authorities, supported by the police, intervened to temporarily take control of the area.
Vishvaraj Singh, a BJP MLA, was designated as the successor of the Mewar royal family after his father's recent death. To assume his role, Vishvaraj needed to pray at a family shrine inside the City Palace fort, which is managed by a trust controlled by his estranged younger brother. Long-standing disputes between the brothers, stemming from property disputes, have been reported by The Times of India.
Udaipur's City Palace is a major tourist attraction, featuring a sprawling complex with a striking white facade. It is situated near another royal residence, Udaipur's Lake Palace, which has been transformed into a luxury hotel and was featured in the 1983 James Bond film 'Octopussy.'
India's maharajas, who once governed over approximately 140 million people across 565 princely states, saw their powers diminish after the country's independence from British rule in 1947. Despite becoming ordinary citizens in the eyes of the law, many of these families retained their social prestige and influence, continuing to be revered as royalty by their local communities. Some families also transitioned into politics, including Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union minister for communications, who is the grandson of the last ruler of the princely state of Gwalior.
Source link: https://www.khaleejtimes.com
