While home minister Amit Shah said that 77 people have been arrested, claims on social media said that most held are Muslims.
Muhammad Raafi | TwoCircles.net
NEW DELHI — Anti-Muslim violence was reported during Navratri celebrations in India between April 10 and 11.
According to multiple reports, rabble-rousing Hindutva mobs intruded into Muslim localities, attacking a mosque and setting afire Muslim homes. The violent incident left one person dead while damages to a mosque and Muslim properties were reported from various states.
While home minister Amit Shah said that 77 people have been arrested, claims on social media said that most held are Muslims.
In Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, West Bengal and Goa, reports said that saffron-clad Hindutva mobs marched the streets, raising provocative slogans.
Videos of violence and arson went viral on social networking sites while people claimed massive clashes broke out in Madhya Pradesh’s Khargone that left several people injured and homes and a mosque damaged.
A video showed a mosque in Khargone engulfed in flames with smoke rising from the site. Another video showed youths pelting stones at Muslim homes while police watched. Stone pelting incidents were also reported near the town’s Ayesha Yesha Masjid.
Massive clashes broke out in Madhya Pradesh’s Khargone that left several people injured and homes and a mosque damaged.
Indian Express reported that a total of 10 houses were burnt down while several people, including policemen, were injured in the violence. Clashes broke out near Talab Chowk mosque when some people opposed the provocative songs being played during the procession.
Notably, Kapil Mishra, BJP leader and a known provocateur, was in Khargone to attend the Shriram Janmotsav Shobha Yatra procession which preceded the violence.
Accusing the police of mishandling the situation, Ravi Joshi, a Congress MLA said if they had ensured law and order when the procession was being carried out the violence would not have taken place. He noted that there were hardly any police personnel at the spot.
Violence was also reported in the Sedhwa area, 60 kilometres from Khargone. Videos showed youths injured in the violence bleeding.
Sunday was a tense day in Gujarat’s Anand and Sabarkantha districts where clashes were witnessed in Khambhat and Himmatnagar towns. One person died in Khambhat town. His identity was not immediately known.
Reports and videos showed shops and vehicles on fire as the mobs rampaged through the streets. The police fired teargas shells and lathi-charged crowds to control the situation.
The situation turned ugly in Himmatnagar around noon when a religious procession on bikes and cars reached a predominantly Muslim locality, Chhaparia. Soon after stone-pelting, vandalism and arson led to clashes. VHP members also took out a rally in the area which also resulted in violence, reports said.
Minority Coordination Committee (MCC), a civil society group in Ahmedabad, wrote a letter to the Gujarat Director General of Police (DGP) demanding measures to ensure security is restored in areas hit by violence.
“We demand action against the anti-social elements who in the garb of religious programmes had been trying to disrupt peace and harmony in Gujarat. All CCTV footage in Himmatnagar should be checked and those caught carrying weapons without permission should be booked and arrested,” the letter said.
Reports of communal violence during a Ram Navami procession were also received from West Bengal’s Howrah. WB police said they were taking measures to ensure normalcy.
Similarly, stone pelting was witnessed in Jharkhand’s Lohardaga during religious marches. According to ANI, one person succumbed to his injuries in the town.
Vasco town of Goa also reported tensions after two groups of different communities clashed with each other. Herald Goa, a local news portal said that the situation deteriorated at around 8:30 pm when a Ram Navami rally reached Islampur-Baina. The participants complained that locals pelted stones at them. However, a Muslim youth said that they were assaulted by Hindu revellers without any rhyme or reason. Police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.
Muhammad Raafi is a journalist based in New Delhi. He tweets at @MohammadRaafi