News Analysis India

Tag: Communal Clash

  • Ganesh Chaturthi: Communal clash breaks out in Gujarat

    Express News Service

    AHMEDABAD: On Monday, at least 13 people were detained after a communal clash erupted in Vadodara during a Ganesh Chaturthi procession. Stone-pelting broke out when a procession carrying an idol of Lord Ganesh was passing through Panigate Darwaza. No one was injured. An FIR was registered against members of both sides on charges of rioting and unlawful assembly.

    Meanwhile, five persons were arrested in Banaskantha district on Monday after complainant Rajesh Solanki, the brother of Haresh who belongs to Malgadh village in Deesa taluka, said he consumed poison on Saturday. Haresh was hospitalised in Palanpur in a critical condition. He was allegedly depressed after five persons “brainwashed” his wife, Chandrika, to get converted to Islam and moved a petition before the court in her name, seeking permission to live separately.

    The accused allegedly pressured Haresh to either convert or pay Rs 25 lakh for getting reunited with his family. “A case has been registered against five members of the Sheikh family,” sub-inspector BG Suthar said. Earlier in the week, an FIR was registered on Friday after a woman told the police that her son had died by suicide after being force-fed beef by his live-in partner and her brother.

    Rohit Singh had killed himself in Surat on June 27 after posting a suicide note on Facebook, which was brought to the notice of his illiterate family only recently. According to the FIR, Singh, a resident of Udhna area, hanged himself using a dupatta. After this, a complaint was lodged against Sonam Ali and her brother Mukhtar Zakir Ali. “We detained Sonam Ali from Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday,” J.T. Sonara, ACP-B Div Surat, said.

    Fir lodgedStone-pelting broke out when a procession carrying an idol of Lord Ganesh was passing through Panigate Darwaza. No one was injured. An FIR was registered against members of both sides on charges of rioting and unlawful assembly.

    AHMEDABAD: On Monday, at least 13 people were detained after a communal clash erupted in Vadodara during a Ganesh Chaturthi procession. Stone-pelting broke out when a procession carrying an idol of Lord Ganesh was passing through Panigate Darwaza. No one was injured. An FIR was registered against members of both sides on charges of rioting and unlawful assembly.

    Meanwhile, five persons were arrested in Banaskantha district on Monday after complainant Rajesh Solanki, the brother of Haresh who belongs to Malgadh village in Deesa taluka, said he consumed poison on Saturday. Haresh was hospitalised in Palanpur in a critical condition. He was allegedly depressed after five persons “brainwashed” his wife, Chandrika, to get converted to Islam and moved a petition before the court in her name, seeking permission to live separately.

    The accused allegedly pressured Haresh to either convert or pay Rs 25 lakh for getting reunited with his family. “A case has been registered against five members of the Sheikh family,” sub-inspector BG Suthar said. Earlier in the week, an FIR was registered on Friday after a woman told the police that her son had died by suicide after being force-fed beef by his live-in partner and her brother.

    Rohit Singh had killed himself in Surat on June 27 after posting a suicide note on Facebook, which was brought to the notice of his illiterate family only recently. According to the FIR, Singh, a resident of Udhna area, hanged himself using a dupatta. After this, a complaint was lodged against Sonam Ali and her brother Mukhtar Zakir Ali. “We detained Sonam Ali from Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday,” J.T. Sonara, ACP-B Div Surat, said.

    Fir lodged
    Stone-pelting broke out when a procession carrying an idol of Lord Ganesh was passing through Panigate Darwaza. No one was injured. An FIR was registered against members of both sides on charges of rioting and unlawful assembly.

  • 211 arrested so far after communal clashes in Jodhpur, says Rajasthan police chief

    By PTI

    JAIPUR: As many as 211 people have so far been arrested in connection with the communal clashes in Jodhpur before Eid, police said on Thursday while asserting the situation in the city was under control.

    A curfew clamped in the city following the violence continued for the third day on Thursday with the police saying all efforts were being made to maintain law and order. The police have appealed to the people to maintain peace, not believe in rumours and inform the local police officials about any rumour being spread.

    Director-General of Police M L Lather said so far 211 people have been arrested for disturbing peace and harmony.

    As many as 191 people have been arrested under IPC section 151 (knowingly joining or continuing in assembly of five or more persons after it has been commanded to disperse), and 20 others under other sections, the state police chief said.

    In a statement, Lather said four FIRs have been registered by the police and 15 FIRs based on the complaints by people.

    Tension broke out in Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s constituency Jodhpur on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday, ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, over the installation of Islamic flags on the Jalori gate circle, a roundabout alongside the statue of freedom fighter Balmukund Bissa, as members of the other community alleged that a saffron flag, which they had put up there ahead of Parshuram Jayanti, had gone missing.

    The issue snowballed into stone-pelting and clashes. The situation was brought under control in the early hours on Tuesday with heavy deployment of police but tensions escalated again in the morning after prayers at an Eidgah close to the circle.

    Shops, vehicles and houses were pelted with stones near the area. Looking at the situation, a curfew was imposed in 10 police station areas of Jodhpur city.

  • Why is PM Narendra Modi silent on communal violence, incidents of hatred: Congress

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Hitting back at BJP president JP Nadda over his attack on opposition parties, the Congress on Monday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence over the recent communal violence in some parts of the country and asked why he has not yet denounced the incidents of hatred.

    Congress general secretary and party chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala also asked why “perpetrators of hate were getting political patronage”. Accusing the BJP of launching a vicious attack on the Constitution and its ethos, and the institutions built to safeguard democracy, he said that it and its government are at war with its own people.

    Surjewala’s attack came after Nadda, in an open letter to Indians, accused the opposition of waging a “direct onslaught on the spirit of our nation and casting aspersions on our hardworking citizens”. The letter was in response to leaders of rival parties issuing a joint statement attacking the government over incidents of hate speech and communal violence in the country.

    ALSO READ| Jahangirpuri clashes: VHP, Bajrang Dal members booked for taking out religious procession, one held

    Nadda said the opposition parties “tried, tested, or I should say dusted and rusted approach of vote bank politics, divisive politics, and selective politics is no longer working”.

    Unfortunately, this thrust towards development politics is being bitterly resisted by the rejected and dejected parties which are once again taking refuge in vote bank and divisive politics, the BJP chief said in his letter.

    Responding to the open letter, Surjewala accused the BJP government of systematically weakening the Indian Constitution. “Your party and government continue to feed the masses the opium of communal polarisation by inciting violence and hatred. You actually do so to distract people away from the main issues that threaten their existence – price rise, unemployment and a shattered hope for the future,” he said attacking Nadda.

    “While parts of India are ravaged by riots and violence why is the prime minister so conspicuously silent? Why does he not denounce hatred no matter where it comes from? Why do perpetrators of hate get political patronage? Why are those who incite violence rewarded and most of all why are youth being incentivised to attack and abuse,” he asked in a statement.

    ALSO READ| MP Ram Navami violence: First victim is a Muslim youth brutally murdered by miscreants

    Accusing the BJP of “distorting the nation’s fabric, he said, “Your attempts to perpetuate hate, stoke communal tension and divide are dangerous for our nation and our people.”

    Surjewala claimed that the “lies” of the BJP chief stood exposed as its quest to seek revenge against India’s glorious history and hard fought freedom by “half truths and post truths” cannot be the bedrock of a nation aspiring to lead in the 21st century.

    “The last eight years will be marked in India’s history for a vicious attack against the Constitution, its ethos and every institution built to safeguard our democracy. The BJP and its government have been and are at war with its own people, be it the youth, the women, the poor, the scheduled tribes, the scheduled castes, backwards and the minorities,” he said.

    Noting that there has been an “abysmal decline in core indices” under the eight years of the Modi government, the Congress leader claimed that there is growing income inequality in the country with the income of 84 per cent Indians declining.

    He said that there has been a 53 per cent drop in income for the 15 crore poorest households and in contrast, the wealth of the 100 richest Indians has surged from Rs 23 lakh crore to Rs 57 lakh crore in two years.

    Surjewala also attacked Nadda over the issue of rising inflation and said Wholesale Inflation (WPI) is raging at over 14.5 per cent and prices of daily items are breaking the back of the people. The Modi government has “robbed”people of Rs 26 lakh crore through fuel taxes, he alleged.

    Alleging that there are over 8.7 lakh vacancies in the central government alone and over 30 lakh in states and the centre combined, he said, “Your government is turning India’s demographic dividend into a disaster. And, it is these unemployed youths who are being drawn into violence and hate by the lunatic fringe elements.”

    Surjewala also accused the BJP government of “cheating” farmers, saying Prime Minister Modi had promised to double their income by 2022 but their production cost only got doubled and the average income of farmers got reduced to a paltry Rs 27 per day.

    The Congress leader also attacked Nadda over the silence of the prime minister on the border issue with China and said he refused to even name China while addressing the opposition. He also attacked the BJP government of “compromising” national security and claimed there has been a rise in terrorist attacks in the country, including in Jammu and Kashmir, under its rule.

    Alleging that the BJP had an “anti-Dalit mindset”, the Congress leader said of the 17 BJP chief ministers not one was a Dalit and accused it of having reduced the budget for Dalits as the percentage of targeted schemes for scheduled castes out of the total central schemes and centrally-sponsored schemes was just 4.4 per cent.

    “Why has your government not released the OBC report, which would benefit them? Why are minorities under constant attack. Your hollow, empty promises and blatant lies continue to haunt our people. The country awaits Rs 15 lakh in every Indian’s bank account, 16 crore jobs over the last eight years with two crore annual jobs, doubling farmer incomes by 2022 and MSP at cost +50 per cent, 100 smart cities by 2022 and a house for everyone by 2022,” he said.

  • ‘Appeasement’ reason for communal clashes: BJP

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: A day after Congress president Sonia Gandhi and leaders of 13 opposition parties issued a joint statement against the communal clashed happening in various parts of the country, the BJP on Sunday said the “ideology of appeasement” pursued over the last 70 years is responsible for the communal riots across the country.

    Taking on opposition leaders over their joint statement, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said this “selective politics” of opposition is harmful for the country.  Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters here, Patra said the clashes in the north-west Delhi locality on Saturday night are under investigation and all should wait for the outcome.

    “But, at the same time, we would like to say that a joint statement was issued by Sonia Gandhi along with other opposition leaders yesterday. This selective politics of some opposition leaders is not appropriate for the country, it is harmful for the country,” he said.

    “Sonia Gandhi in this letter talked about the ideology today, question arises which ideology leads to such riots in the country. There is only one ideology from the last seventy years, and its name is ideology of appeasement,” Patra said, adding “this policy and politics of appeasement” is very unfortunate. 

  • UP police issues state-wide alert after Jahangirpuri violence on Hanuman Jayanti

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh police on Saturday issued a state-wide alert after clashes broke out between two communities during a Hanuman Jayanti procession in northwest Delhi’s Jahangirpuri area on Saturday.

    UP’s Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar said senior officials in the field have been asked to keep a close watch on sensitive areas of their respective districts after Delhi’s Jahangirpuri incident.

    “The officials, especially in districts adjoining Delhi, have been asked to stay prepared to avert any kind of untoward incident anywhere in the state,” the officer said. The officers have also been asked to stay mobile and maintain area domination, he said.

    Violence broke out in Jahangirpuri of Delhi earlier in the day allegedly after an attack on a procession, being taken out on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti.

  • Jahangirpuri clashes a ‘conspiracy’; probe role of illegal immigrants: Delhi BJP

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Delhi BJP leaders on Saturday called the clashes during a Hanuman Jayanti procession in northwest Delhi’s Jahangirpuri a “conspiracy” and demanded a probe into the role of “illlegal immigrants” in the incident.

    Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta and party MP Manoj Tiwari said the “attack” on the procession was “not a spontaneous incident, but a conspiracy”.

    Clashes broke out between two communities during the procession in Jahangirpuri on Saturday, leaving several police personnel injured.

    Police said there was stone-pelting and some vehicles were also torched in the violence that occurred at around 6 pm. Additional police forces have been rushed to the region and other communally sensitive areas.

    Former AAP minister and BJP leader Kapil Mishra said the stone pelting on the procession was a “terrorist attack” and demanded immediate expulsion of illigal immigrants from the country.

    The Delhi BJP president said he will meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah and urge him to order a probe into the violence. He also questioned how the settlement of Rohingyas and Bangladeshis living illegally in Delhi were provided water and electricity connections.

    “I want to ask (Chief Minister) Arvind Kejriwal why is he providing water and electricity to Rohingyas and Bangladeshis living illegally in the city,” he said in a video message.

    No immediate response was available from the ruling AAP government in Delhi on Gupta’s allegations.

    The BJP leader also appealed to Delhiites to maintain peace and added that a party delegation will visit the area. The guilty must be punished, he added.

    North East Delhi BJP MP Manoj Tiwari, who had earlier raised the issue of illegal immigrants living in the city, said those protecting such settlers were a “bigger” threat.

    “Illegal migrants are big threat and need to be investigated as they are spoiling the harmony of our nation. People who are protecting and helping them settle here are a bigger threat!,” he tweeted after the incident.

    Meanwhile, Kapil Mishra, who was accused by the opposition for inciting violence in Madhya Pradesh’s Khargone on Ram Navami, said papers of all illegal immigrants should be checked and they should be immediately expelled.

    “The attack on Hanuman Jayanti procession was not a ‘Sanyog’ (spontaneous) but a ‘Prayog’ (experiment). It was a terrorist attack. The settlements of Bangladeshi trespassers was now involved in attacks,” he said.

    Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor also demanded a probe into the incident.

    Officials said overall security has been stepped up in all the remaining 14 police districts of the national capital and technical surveillance has also been mounted to ensure no untoward incident takes place.

    Communal clashes had broken out in Northeast Delhi on February 24, 2020 after violence between citizenship law supporters and protesters spiralled out of control, leaving at least 53 people dead and around 700 injured.

  • Communal violence during Ram Navami processions in two districts of MP, curfew imposed

    By Express News Service

    BHOPAL: Communal tension gripped several areas of Khargone town of Khargone district and Sendhwa town of Barwani district in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh, following attacks during Ram Navami processions on Sunday.

    Around eight to ten persons, including five cops, were injured in Khargone town in Khargone district. While five to seven people, including two cops, were hurt during the violence in the adjoining Barwani district’s Sendhwa town.

    While prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPc have been imposed in the entire Khargone town, a curfew has been imposed in some badly hit localities of Khargone town, including Talab Chowk, Motipura, Sanjay Nagar, Tabadi Chowk and Gaushala Marg.

    The first incident happened in the minority community Talab Chowk area of Khargone town just when the Ram Navami procession was about to pass through that communally sensitive area. Stones were pelted at the procession by a mob of those opposing playing loud DJ music during the procession.

    Learning of the incident, a violent face-off broke between the two communities from Gaushala Marg, Tabadi Chowk, Sanjay Nagar and Motipura areas of Khargone. With police personnel in Khargone not being in adequate numbers, cops from adjoining districts were later pressed into action in Khargone.

    According to unconfirmed reports, a place of worship was vandalised between Talab Chowk and Gaushala Marg, while rioters also set a house on fire. Around eight to ten persons, including 5 cops, among them SP Khargone Siddharth Chaudhary, SDOP and local police inspector were also hurt during the incident. “Curfew has been imposed in many areas of Khargone town and might be extended to other areas if the situation doesn’t improve,” local SDM SS Mujalde said.

    In adjoining Barwani district’s communally sensitive Sendhwa town, a similar attack on the Ram Navami procession was reported in Idgah-Jogwara Road area, when a procession of the tribals was on the way from Bargaon village to join the main Ram Navami procession in Sendhwa town. As per unconfirmed reports, later a place of worship was vandalised in Mausam Chowk locality.

    Incidents of the face-off between the two communities were subsequently reported from other areas, including Jai Hind Chowk and Kranti Chowk. Around seven people, including two cops, among them, the inspector of the local police station was hurt.

    Swinging into action, the Barwani district collector Shivraj Singh Verma and SP Dipak Shukla along with adequate force later ensured that the main Ram Navami procession happened peacefully in main Sendhwa town.

    According to Barwani district collector Shivraj Singh Verma, the situation is totally under control in Sendhwa town.

  • One killed as two Gujarat cities witness communal clashes during Ram Navami processions

    By PTI

    AHMEDABAD: One person was killed and another one injured in a communal clash in Khambhat city of Gujarat during a procession taken out on the occasion of Ram Navami on Sunday, while Himmatnagar city in the state also witnessed violence between members of two communities during a similar event, police said.

    The clashing groups indulged in stone pelting and arson at both the places and the police had to lob tear gas shells to bring the situation under control, officials said.

    While Khambhat city is located in Anand district, Himmatnagar lies in Sabarkantha district.

    “The body of an unidentified man, who appears to be around 65 years old, was recovered from the spot in Khambhat, where two groups pelted each other with stones after a clash broke out between them during a Ram Navami procession late this afternoon,” Superintendent of Police Ajeet Rajyan said.

    Another person was injured and a few shop cabins were set on fire by the miscreants during the incident, he said, adding that the situation was later brought under control using tear gas shells.

    The deceased appears to have died due to the injuries he suffered during the clash.

    Investigation into the incident is underway, Rajyan said.

    A similar clash was reported in Himmatnagar and police had to use tear gas shells to control the violent mob that damaged some vehicles and shops, police said.

    “Two groups clashed and pelted each other with stones over a Ram Navami procession. During the melee, some persons were hit by stones. But the situation was brought under control in some time,” Vishal Vaghela, Sabarkantha’s Superintendent of Police, said.

    The agitators also set on fire three to four two-wheelers. A large deployment of police personnel is has been made to maintain law and order there, he said.

    Ram Navami is celebrated as the birthday of Lord Ram.

  • Several injured in communal tension in Rajasthan’s Karauli, curfew imposed, 600 policemen deployed

    By PTI

    JAIPUR: Curfew was imposed in Karauli city of Rajasthan after communal tension broke out there following stone-pelting at a motorcycle rally passing through a Muslim-dominated area on Nav Samvatsar, the first day of the new year under the Hindu calendar on Saturday, officials said.

    Over 25 persons were injured in the stone-pelting, leading to communal clashes, necessitating the imposition of the curfew and deployment of the additional police force, they said.

    “The curfew has been imposed in the city. An additional police force has also been deployed to maintain law and order,” Karauli District Magistrate Rajendra Singh Shekhawat said.

    Terming the situation in the city as “tense but under control”, he said some incidents of arsons too took place at several places.

    “Over 25 people suffered injuries. Of them, five to seven are under treatment. One injured person was referred to a Jaipur hospital in critical condition while the rest were discharged after primary treatment,” the police control room said.

    It said a rally was being taken out and when it passed through a Muslim-dominated area, some miscreants pelted stones at it, leading to an eruption of communal clashes in which a few two-wheelers and shops were torched.

    “Police officers, including Bharatpur IGP Prashan Kumar Khamesra and Karauli SP Shailendra Singh rushed to the spot and an additional police force was deployed to control the situation,” the PCR said.

    Rajasthan DGP ML Lather has also deployed ADG Sanjib Kumar, IG Bharat Lal Meena, Jaipur’s Crime Branch DIG Rahul Prakash and DCP, Jaipur South, Mridul Kachawa in Karauli, it added.

  • Members of two communities clash in Gujarat’s Kalol; cops fire tear gas

    By PTI
    GODHAR: A communal clash broke out on Saturday after members of a community objected to the police detaining a suspect in connection with an incident in which a teenage boy from another community was thrashed by unidentified people at Kalol town in Panchmahal district of Gujarat, prompting the police to fire teargas shells, an officer said.

    “Tension over a group of people from one community allegedly thrashing a boy from another community on Friday night led to two groups clashing with each other on Saturday. Policemen were also attacked when they tried to control the situation,” Panchmahal Superintendent of Police Leena Patil told reporters.

    The clash erupted after a group of people reached Kalol police station demanding the release of a man belonging to their community who was detained by police for allegedly thrashing a boy from another community on Friday midnight, Patil said.

    The SP said tension started over a trivial issue involving boys from the two communities.

    “When the police tried to disperse the group of people who had come to the police station, they ran and hid in their houses and shops and started hurling stones at police personnel. Meanwhile, a group of people from another community also reached the area,” the SP said.

    A police inspector and some other people sustained minor injuries.

    Vehicles parked in the area were also damaged in the incident, she said.

    Police fired several rounds of teargas shells to control the mob.

    At least 80 police personnel were deployed in the area to bring the situation under control, the SP said.

    “The situation is now under control, and we are keeping a watch on social media to prevent the spread of rumours. The process to register an FIR against those involved is underway. Around 60 to 70 police personnel had reached the spot after the clash erupted. Three platoons of the SRP have been called,” the officer said.