News Analysis India

Tag: clash

  • Uttarakhand: Over 700 booked after communal tension in Haldwani locality

    By PTI

    NAINITAL: Police have booked over 700 unnamed people after a clash between two groups in a Haldwani locality over some namazis performing ‘wazu’ at a public space, an official said on Wednesday.

    Tension broke out between the two communities in Bhotia Parav area of Haldwani in this district on Monday evening when some people belonging to Hindu organisations objected to Muslim religious practices being held in the Awas Vikas colony.

    Although namaz was being offered in the house of Advocate Zafar Siddique, objections were raised over an open public plot nearby being used for the ritual ‘wazu’ before offering namaz.

    Muslims perform `wazu’ or ritual ablution before offering ‘namaz’.

    Witnesses claimed that tension escalated when some members of a Hindu outfit gathered in the area and allegedly slapped Imam Shahid Hussain who was presiding over the collective namaz offering ceremony.

    Hussain lodged a complaint with the police.

    Later, Siddique, the owner of the house where namaz was being offered, also lodged a police complaint.

    SHO Bhotia Parav Harendra Chaudhary reached the spot with the police force and sealed the advocate’s property on finding that it was an illegal construction, officials said, adding the clashing sides were brought to the police station.

    “We have booked 700-800 people under sections 147 (rioting), 332 (Voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 341 (Punishment for wrongful restraint), 353 (Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) for blocking the highway, indulging in violence,” the SHO said.

    A woman had earlier filed a complaint with the police, claiming that the empty plot in question was being used for unauthorised religious activities causing disturbance and “filth” in a public space.

    NAINITAL: Police have booked over 700 unnamed people after a clash between two groups in a Haldwani locality over some namazis performing ‘wazu’ at a public space, an official said on Wednesday.

    Tension broke out between the two communities in Bhotia Parav area of Haldwani in this district on Monday evening when some people belonging to Hindu organisations objected to Muslim religious practices being held in the Awas Vikas colony.

    Although namaz was being offered in the house of Advocate Zafar Siddique, objections were raised over an open public plot nearby being used for the ritual ‘wazu’ before offering namaz.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2′); });

    Muslims perform `wazu’ or ritual ablution before offering ‘namaz’.

    Witnesses claimed that tension escalated when some members of a Hindu outfit gathered in the area and allegedly slapped Imam Shahid Hussain who was presiding over the collective namaz offering ceremony.

    Hussain lodged a complaint with the police.

    Later, Siddique, the owner of the house where namaz was being offered, also lodged a police complaint.

    SHO Bhotia Parav Harendra Chaudhary reached the spot with the police force and sealed the advocate’s property on finding that it was an illegal construction, officials said, adding the clashing sides were brought to the police station.

    “We have booked 700-800 people under sections 147 (rioting), 332 (Voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 341 (Punishment for wrongful restraint), 353 (Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) for blocking the highway, indulging in violence,” the SHO said.

    A woman had earlier filed a complaint with the police, claiming that the empty plot in question was being used for unauthorised religious activities causing disturbance and “filth” in a public space.

  • Two groups clash during Ram Navami procession in Mumbai 

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Two groups clashed during a Ram Navami procession in Mumbai on Thursday night, police said.

    The incident occurred at Malvani in suburban Malad (West) when the procession was going on and some people objected to high volume DJ and loud music accompanying it, an official said.

    Some of the participants alleged stone pelting, which created panic among people, he said. However, police did not confirm the stone pelting incident.

    Additional police personnel were called to the spot and force was used to disperse the crowd, he said.

    The situation in the area was under control, said the official. Senior police officials and local politicians visited the area and appealed for peace.

    Later, supporters of a right-wing organisation gathered outside the Malvani Police Station and demanded action against those who allegedly pelted stones.

    MUMBAI: Two groups clashed during a Ram Navami procession in Mumbai on Thursday night, police said.

    The incident occurred at Malvani in suburban Malad (West) when the procession was going on and some people objected to high volume DJ and loud music accompanying it, an official said.

    Some of the participants alleged stone pelting, which created panic among people, he said. However, police did not confirm the stone pelting incident.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Additional police personnel were called to the spot and force was used to disperse the crowd, he said.

    The situation in the area was under control, said the official. Senior police officials and local politicians visited the area and appealed for peace.

    Later, supporters of a right-wing organisation gathered outside the Malvani Police Station and demanded action against those who allegedly pelted stones.

  • Several injured, many vehicles vandalised in BJP-TMC clash at Howrah

    By PTI
    HOWRAH: Several people were injured, many vehicles vandalised as BJP and Trinamool Congress supporters clashed in West Bengal’s Howrah district on Saturday, police said.

    BJP alleged that a party member was shot at, while some were beaten with rods and sticks.

    Crude bombs were also allegedly hurled during the street fight at Bally, triggering panic in the area.

    Besides, a few bikes and a police vehicle were vandalised, officials said.

    On Friday, Bally MLA Baishaki Dalmia was suspended by the Trinamool Congress for alleged anti-party activities, hours after Domjur MLA Rajib Banerjee resigned as a minister in the Mamata Banerjee government.

    Police were yet to confirm about the firing but the BJP claimed that party member Promod Dubey who received a bullet injury in a firing at Abhra Sen Street was rushed to the Howrah hospital.

    Police said that a huge contingent has been deployed in the area to control the situation and prevent any further flare-ups.

    Local TMC leaders said that some BJP members were allegedly extorting money from shops in the area, following which people of the area protested and roughed them up.

    As the BJP men blocked the GT Road in protest, some TMC supporters tried to remove them, triggering the violence.

    TMC claimed that BJP supporters hurled crude bombs and set on fire some vehicles to foment trouble in the peaceful locality.

  • Microsoft sets sights on Sony’s home turf in console clash

    In the battle of the next-generation gaming machines, two key players are moving in different directions. Microsoft Corp. is making a serious attempt to attract fans in Japan with its new consoles and network services. Meanwhile, Tokyo-based Sony Corp. moved its PlayStation business headquarters to California in 2016 and has built the US into its largest single market.

    New Xbox and PlayStation devices launching this week will likely face an uphill battle in Japan, where Nintendo Co.’s Switch enjoys dominance with a family-friendly lineup of games.

    But Microsoft’s targeting of the world’s third-largest video-game market — including with services that can be accessed across a variety of devices — could potentially yield strong results. As the Xbox has virtually zero presence in the country, there’s plenty of room for it to increase its share.

    “The Xbox has a chance to make Japan its second-largest market after the U.S. if it takes the right steps for years to come,” said Hideki Yasuda, an analyst at Ace Research Institute in Tokyo. “Sony’s attention is drifting away and fans have started to notice that.” Sony shares rose as much as 1.2% in Tokyo trading and have gained about 24% this year.

    Sony has placed more importance on the US market after the PlayStation 4’s disappointing performance in Japan, according to employees who asked not to be identified discussing internal matters.

    Global sales of the PS4 rose to more than 113 million from the PS3’s 87 million, according to Sony data. But the console sold fewer than 10 million units in Japan, less than its predecessor, according to Famitsu, a Japanese video-game magazine. The U.S., meanwhile, accounts for 35% of the video-game unit’s revenue, compared with 10% for Japan, according to Macquarie Group Ltd. analyst Damian Thong.

    Any suggestion that Sony is shifting its focus away from Japan is incorrect and doesn’t reflect the company’s strategy, spokeswoman Natsumi Atarashi said. She noted that the PlayStation 5 is launching first in Japan and said “our home market remains of utmost importance.”

    A senior figure inside PlayStation headquarters in San Mateo, California, said the U.S. side was frustrated by the failure of the Japan marketing team to sell as many PlayStation 4 units as expected. The person asked not to be identified discussing internal matters.

    As a result, Japan has been sidelined in planning the PlayStation 5’s promotion, according to several PlayStation staff in Japan. Employees in Tokyo said they’ve been left awaiting instructions from California.

    Japan-based developer support teams have been reduced by as much as a third from their peak, and the rolling contracts of a number of game creators at PlayStation’s Japan Studio, one of the unit’s oldest in-house software ateliers, haven’t been renewed, former employees said. The US office believes the PlayStation business doesn’t need games that only do well in Japan, employees in the California headquarters said.