Right-wing outfits hold rally after temple vandalism in Dhule

Former union minister Subhash Bhamre, who represents Dhule Lok Sabha from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), was leading the morcha organised by Sakal Hindu Sangathana, an umbrella organisation of various right-wing outfits

Mumbai: Days after a rally by Hindu organisations took an ugly turn in Kolhapur, a protest was organised by right-wing outfits in Dhule on Saturday against vandalism of a Ram temple on Sakhri Road.

Dhule, India - June 10, 2023: A protest march by Sakal Hindu Sanghatana to condemn the desecration of worship place, in Dhule, India, on Saturday, June 10, 2023. (HT PHOTO) (Hindustan Times)

The agitation that lasted for around two hours concluded without any untoward incident.

Former union minister Subhash Bhamre, who represents Dhule Lok Sabha from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), was leading the morcha organised by Sakal Hindu Sangathana, an umbrella organisation of various right-wing outfits.

This led to tension as a crowd gathered outside the temple. The police had denied any communal angle as the three accused detained by them were from the majority community. One was arrested by the police later.

The morcha, which saw a participation of hundreds of people, began from Shivaji Maharaj’s statue in the morning and concluded at the Ram Mandir with a maha aarti.

Considered as a communally sensitive area, Dhule has a history of communal tensions and violence. A heavy police force was deployed as a precautionary measure to prevent any communal unrest.

On Wednesday, tension gripped Kolhapur after a rally organised by the right-wing outfits objecting to alleged attempts to glorify Mughal king Aurangzeb and Mysore King Tipu Sultan turned violent leading to stone pelting and attacking vehicles of minority community. The police had to use tear gas and lathi-charge to disperse the aggressive crowd and to bring the situation under control.

As the state is moving towards elections, the incidents having potential to disrupt social harmony have been repeatedly happening for the last few months. On March 30, clashes were reported in Kiradpura, Aurangabad during Ram Navami celebrations leading to stone-pelting and arson. The same day, another clash was reported in Malvani, Malad in Mumbai suburbs. On May 13, one person was killed and eight others were injured in a communal clash in Akola in Vidarbha. Two days later, around five people were injured and several shops and vehicles were damaged in a communal clash over a procession in Shevgaon village in Ahmednagar district, the police said.