New Delhi, April 6: The use of an elephant, named Lakshmi will not be allowed by the Delhi forest department in a famous play on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The play to be staged from April 6 -10 at Delhi’s Red Fort. The forest department rejected organisers demand because it fears about the safety of the audience including VIPs.

The play tilted Raja Shiv Chatrapati is originally a Marathi play and has been stage many times. The play was first staged in 1985. Huge sets and props, live camels, horses and elephants are the main attraction of the play. The play is to be staged in Hindi in the Red Fort under the guidance of Ministry of Culture. The play is written by historian, Shiv Shahir Babasaheb Purandare. Babasaheb met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in August 2017 to seek permission for holding the play in Delhi.

According to Hindustan Times, Ishwar Singh, Delhi’s chief wildlife warden has written a letter to organisers of the play in which he said that untrained elephants like Lakshmi might become aggressive and pose a “serious threat to people and VIP’s security. Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan will attend the inaugural show of the play.

Raja Chhatrapati Mahanatya Ayojan Samiti is organising the play. The Department of Wildlife has allowed organisers to hire horses and camels from Delhi and to use them in the play except for an elephant. Due to a dispute over the ownership of the elephant Lakshmi the department denied permission and also officials are concerned about the safety of the people and VIP’s as the untrained elephant may become aggressive.

The organisers said that Lakshmi has a crucial role in the play and would try their level best to persuade the forest department to allow the use of the elephant. A grand four-storey stage has been built to give live impression of a fort.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 06, 2018 02:42 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).