Bengal, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh see violence on Ram Navami: 10 points
The clashes reportedly erupted as rallies were taken out to mark the Hindu festival.
Four states saw clashes on Sunday amid the Ram Navami celebrations. While one death was reported from Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh's Khargone, Bengal's Howrah city and Jharkhand's Lohardaga also witnessed violence. The clashes reportedly erupted as rallies were taken out to mark the Hindu festival. Restrictions have been imposed to maintain law and order situation, officials said.
Here are ten points on the violence in four states on Ram Navami:
1. Large gatherings have been banned in Madhya Pradesh's Khargone city, about 300 km from state capital Bhopal. Several people, including three police personnel, were reported to be injured after violence erupted during a Ram Navami procession. “No casualty has been reported and ten people were injured in the incident. A curfew has been imposed in the district after the violence. The situation is now under control,” district collector Anugrha P said on Sunday.
2. Madhya Pradesh minister Kamal Patel assured action in a tweet: "In Khargone today, anti-social elements tried to spoil the atmosphere of the city. I have spoken to the IG (inspector general) and the collector over phone and instructed them to take strict action against the miscreants, stone pelters and culprits will not be spared, we will not spare those who take law in their hands."
3. Violence erupted in Bengal's Howrah too. "All to note that Howrah City Police is taking all sorts of action to maintain peace and tranquility in Shibpur PS area. All r requested to show utmost restraint & discretion while posting anything on social media, spreading any fake news on today's Rama Nabami rally related issues," the city police wrote on Twitter.
4. Earlier, the BJP's Suvendu Adhikari, who is also the leader of opposition in the state assembly, had alleged that a Ram Navami procession was targeted. "In the Shivpur area of Howrah district, Ram devotees took out a procession and the constable and police officer thrashed them with sticks. Some people got seriously injured. Is following Sanatan Dharma prohibited in this state? @HMOIndia @jdhankhar1@HomeBengalDGP @WBPolice."
5. One person was killed in Gujarat after stones were allegedly thrown at religious processions. Violence was reported from two parts- Himmatnagar, about 70 km from Gandhinagar, and Khambhat, about 125 km from the state capital.
6. “Incidents of violence were reported after stone-pelting broke out when the Ram Navami processions passed through Muslim-dominated areas (in the cities). The situation is under control now,” police officer Ashish Bhatia said.
7. In Jharkhand, gatherings have been banned in a village in the aftermath of violence. "In view of clashes including stone-pelting and tiff that broke out between two groups on the occasion of Ram Navami, Section 144 has been imposed in Hirhi village of Lohardaga," Arvind Kumar Lal, sub-divisional magistrate, was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
8. However, visuals of communal harmony emerged from Bengal's Siliguri where Muslim youths were seen distributing water during a rally amid celebrations. The people who were part of the procession welcomed the distribution of bottles and thanked the Muslim youths for the gesture ANI reported.
9. In Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University, clashes broke out between student groups, leaving several injured.
10. Left wing student organisations and the RSS-backed ABVP have accused each other of provoking attacks. The left-wing student outfits said they faced ruckus over cooking chicken at a hostel while the ABVP said prayers were disrupted.
(With inputs from PTI, ANI)
