Communal tensions erupted in Rajasthan's Baran on Wednesday after the dome of a Ganesh temple was allegedly found displaced. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers and members of Hindu groups staged a protest, stating they would not permit Tazia processions in the city on the occasion of Muharram.
The protestors also demanded the immediate arrest of those responsible for the incident.
BJP MLA Radheyshyam Bairwa from Baran-Atru joined the protesters, who chanted the Hanuman Chalisa during the demonstration.
After talks between representatives of Hindu and Muslim groups, mediated by Baran Collector Rohitashv Singh Tomar and SP Rajkumar Choudhary, an agreement was reached. Under this agreement, Hindu groups allowed 10 of the 11 approved Tazia processions to follow the usual route, while one procession's route was changed to Sarafa Bazar instead of Chomukha Bazar.
Tomar and Choudhary quickly responded to the incident, and a large police force was deployed along the Tazia procession routes, PTI reported.
Teams have also been organised to find and arrest the culprits, and CCTV footage from the area is being reviewed, Tomar told reporters.
People were angry about the alleged displacement of the dome of an ancient Ganesh temple in Chomukha Bazar and suspected foul play, Choudhary said.
{{/usCountry}}People were angry about the alleged displacement of the dome of an ancient Ganesh temple in Chomukha Bazar and suspected foul play, Choudhary said.
{{/usCountry}}“Now everything has been resolved after a negotiation with groups of the two communities and the Tazia procession is underway peacefully,” the SP said as per PTI.
Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar and the first date of the month holds great significance for Muslims worldwide.
On the occasion of Muharram, security was beefed up in several states across the country to avoid communal tensions.
Meanwhile, several states and cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Pune, also observed a dry day.
Banks were also closed in Tripura, Mizoram, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan, Jammu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, New Delhi, Patna, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Meghalaya and Himachal Pradesh.