On the occasion of Ram Navami on Sunday, incidents of communal violence were reported in many states including Gujarat, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh. The latest incidents of violence came after tension in Mulbagal in Kolar district of Karnataka and communal clashes in Karauli in Rajasthan.
On the occasion of Ram Navami, a procession is taken out to commemorate the birthday of Lord Rama. In the national capital, clashes broke out between two groups of students in JNU over non-vegetarian food in a hostel.
Here is a detailed account of the reporter of violent incidents in the states:
Curfew in three areas of Khargone, Madhya Pradesh
Ram Navami procession in Madhya Pradesh’s Khargone town was pelted with stones, leading to arson, in which some vehicles were torched, following which the authorities had to impose curfew in three areas and Section 144 of CrPC in the entire city.
Police fired tear gas shells to control the situation. Khargone Superintendent of Police Siddharth Choudhary and two police personnel were injured along with some people in stone pelting. Khargone District Collector Anugrah P said section 144 of CrPC (prohibition on assembly of four or more people) has been imposed in the entire city.
“Curfew has been imposed in three areas of the city, including Talab Chowk and Tawdi,” he said. There were minor arson incidents after stone-pelting, he said. When the Ram Navami procession started from the Talab Chowk area near the district headquarters, there was stone pelting. Khargone Additional Collector Sumersingh Mujalde said that the mob was pelted with stones, following which the police fired tear gas shells to control the situation. Some policemen and people were injured.
Communal clashes in two cities of Gujarat
One person was killed and another injured in a communal clash during a procession taken out on the occasion of Ram Navami in Gujarat’s Khambhat town on Sunday, while members of two communities during a similar incident in the state’s Himmatnagar town. Violence was seen in between. Police said.
Officials said the fighting groups pelted stones and arson at both the places and police had to use tear gas shells to bring the situation under control. Khambhat city is located in Anand district, Himmatnagar is located in Sabarkantha district.
“The body of an unidentified person, who appears to be around 65 years old, was recovered from the spot in Khambhat where two groups pelted stones at each other after a clash between two groups during Ram Navami procession this afternoon ” Superintendent of Police Ajit Rajan said.
Another person was injured during the incident and some shop cabins were set ablaze, he said, adding that the situation was later brought under control by firing tear gas. It appears that the deceased died due to injuries sustained during the assault. Rajan said the incident was being probed. 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.
Jharkhand
Tension prevailed in Hirahi-Hendlaso village of Jharkhand’s Lohardaga district after incidents of stone pelting and arson during Ram Navami fair on Sunday. According to the information, during the Ram Navami procession in the area, some people started pelting stones at the crowd. This led to a stampede and more than half a dozen people were injured.
Later people from both the sides started pelting stones. As tension escalated, more than a dozen motorcycles and a pickup van were set ablaze at the fair. Two houses have also been set ablaze near Bhogta Garden. Half a dozen people are reported to have been injured in stone-pelting incidents. Two of these people, Manohar Sahu and Bhola Singh, have been admitted to the hospital in critical condition.
Top officials of the district administration say that the situation has been brought under control.
JNU
Two groups of students clashed with each other over serving non-vegetarian food in a mess at Jawaharlal Nehru University’s Kaveri hostel on the day of Ram Navami on Sunday, police said, in which six students were injured. However, both the groups claimed that over 60 students from both the sides were injured.
Left-controlled JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU) and RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad accused each other of pelting stones and injuring their members. Left organizations claimed that around 50 of their members were injured, while the ABVP said that 10-12 of their workers were injured. Several purported videos of the violence surfaced on social media, one of which shows Akhtista Ansari, a second year MA student in sociology, bleeding from her head. Officials have not confirmed the authenticity of the video.
West Bengal
BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari claimed that a procession on Ram Navami in Howrah was attacked by the police. He also said that many people have also been injured in the police action. “Ram bhakts are not safe in West Bengal. Jawans of Howrah Police Commissionerate beat up the participants of Ram Navami procession in Shibpur. Many were injured. Can’t Sanatani devotees practice their religion safely in this state?” he wrote on Twitter.
The official further said that several participants of the procession got injured following the action of West Bengal Police. He further said that devotees are not allowed to practice their religion in the state.
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