By IlyasKhan Pathan, for TwoCircles.net,
Rajkot: Muslim residents fled the Gandhi Vasahat Society situated at Morbi Road here this past Thursday as hundreds of angry Dalits gathered and started pelting stone on the housing complex for the pulling down of a Dr. Ambedkar statue nearby allegedly by some Muslim youths. The incident took place on the eve of Ambedkar Jayanti and nearly 400 Dalits with swords and iron rods agitated violently after the news of alleged desecration of Ambedkar statue spread.
Violent Dalit mob, demanding arrest of the culprits, also pelted stone on police tean and injured H.K Rana, P.I, Crime Branch when they reached the area. Two photographers and a journalist also got hurt. The police resorted to lathi charge and then tear gas shell was used to disperse the mob.
Geeta Johri, Police Commissioner, Rajkot, rushed the area immediately and reinstated Dr. Ambekar’s statue and assured the protestors to punish the guilty.
As the news of the desecration spread, nearly 200 dalit students residing in Government M.G. Hostel at Kalawad Road, started beating the drivers and torching the cars, buses on the road. They even broke the mirror of two school buses and again pelted stone on police on their arrival.
On Friday night the situation got tense again after a fire broke out on a house and a shop and a godwon were torched. People started gathering but police reached there immediately and arrested eight people.
Geeta Johri, Police Commissioner of Rajkot, confirmed while talking to TwoCircles.net that some Muslim youths have been accused of pulling down the statue. “We received the complaint that few Muslim youths have desecrated Dr. Ambedkar statue but nothing is clear as of now and we are investigating the matter,” she further said.
“Now the situation is under control in Rajkot,” she informed.
