By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: Two talukas, Digras and Pusad in Yavatmal district of Maharashtra, are under curfew, police have been given shoot-at-sight order, two persons from the minority community have been killed, one in police firing, during the violence that erupted on Friday 18th July in Digras taluka. Yavatmal comes in the eastern Vidharbha region.
According to Aman Nirban, president of Muslim Vikas Manch, an NGO, at least 300 people have been arrested in Digras alone and the situation is very tense there.
Talking to TwoCircles.net on phone from Yavatmal city, Nirban said tension erupted when after Friday Prayer in Digras, a copy of Holy Quran with a stone, some chappals and some lemons on it was found in front of a shop. People got enraged and started forcing shopkeepers to shut down. In the violence that ensued, two minors named Ayaz and Zubair were killed in police firing, he said.
Some of Nirban’s relatives reside near the police station in Digras. He said around 200-300 people, mostly from the minority community, have been arrested.
The cause of the violence was confirmed by Aqil Mirza, Yavatmal area incharge of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind.
Talking to TwoCircles.net from Pusad, another violence-hit and under curfew area in Yavatmal, Mirza said that on Friday, two hours after the news that Holy Quran was dishonoured in Digras came, people started demonstration and enforced shopkeepers to shut down in Pusad. Curfew has been enforced in 3-4 Muslim mohallas in Pusad, some 30 km from Digras.
About Digras he said that on Saturday an all party rally was taken out in Digras. Marching through the area, the rally was divided into two with some marchers entered in a Muslim area, this was beyond schedule of the march. A bandh call was given by Shiv Sena and Bajrang Dal also. As soon as the marchers entered the Muslim area, stones were thrown at them. In response police resorted to firing in which a Muslim youth was killed. One from majority community was also killed. He confirmed what Nirban said about police actions.
Mirza said police are breaking into Muslim homes, beating people including women. He said about 100 people have been arrested in Digras. As he is in his home in the curfew area in Pusad, he does know much about his area.
TwoCircles.net contacted Additional Superintendent of Police (Yavatmal). He was camping in Pusad. He said 47 people have been arrested in Pusad alone. “Situation is peaceful but curfew continues,” he said.
Asked about Digras, he showed ignorance. He said as he is busy in Pusad he does not know much about Digras, but he said he knew that the situation was peaceful there too and curfew was on. Attempts by TwoCircles.net to reach the Police Inspector camping in Digras failed.
President of Maharashtra Jamaat-e-Islami told this correspondent that he was contacting the administration to ensure that innocents are not arrested.
Dr. Azeemuddin, Maharashtra president of Movement for Peace & Justice, told TwoCircles.net that he is meeting state home minister tomorrow at 2 pm and will ask him to intervene to control the situation. He also echoed police brutalities on innocents in the curfew-hit areas.