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Nagpur: Curfew imposed in several areas after violence amid book burning 'rumours'
According to Nagpur police commissioner Dr Ravinder Kumar Singal, the curfew will remain in force until further orders.
After violence erupted in Maharashtra's Nagpur on Monday amid rumours of burning of a holy book, authorities have reportedly issued curfew orders for several areas as the city police commissioner assured the residents that the situation was under control.
According to the news agency ANI, a curfew has been imposed in the limits of several police stations in Nagpur city. These police stations include Kotwali, Ganeshpeth, Lakadganj, Pachpaoali, and Shantinagar. Curfew has also been imposed in Sakkardara, Nandanvan, Imamwada, Yashodhara Nagar, and Kapil Nagar police stations.
According to Nagpur police commissioner Dr Ravinder Kumar Singal, the curfew will remain in force until further orders.
Maharashtra Minority Commission chairman Pyare Khan has termed the recent violence in Nagpur as "very unfortunate," urged people to maintain peace, and claimed that those responsible were not locals but outsiders who came to create unrest in a city known for its communal harmony.
"This is a very unfortunate incident, and such violence should not have happened in Nagpur, a place known for its saints. During Ram Navami, Muslims here set up tents to welcome Hindus. There is a Dargah where people from all religions--Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and Christians--come to pray," Khan was quoted by ANI as saying.
He alleged that the violence was caused by anti-social elements from outside the city.
"The people involved in this violence are not from Nagpur. Some anti-social elements came from outside and created unrest," he claimed.
Why did the violence erupt in Nagpur?
Violence erupted in central Nagpur in the Chitnis Park area in Mahal on Monday around 7.30 pm with stones hurled at police amid rumours that the holy book of a community was burnt during an agitation by a right-wing body for the removal of Aurangzeb's tomb, leaving six persons and some policemen injured, news agency PTI reported.
Police arrested 15 persons during combing operations in various localities in the Mahal area.
Another clash broke out in the Hansapuri area near the Old Bhandara Road between 10:30 pm to 11:30 pm. An unruly mob burnt several vehicles, and vandalised houses and a clinic in the area.
Some of the residents came out in their galleries and watched as a posse of cops led by senior officers marched into the lanes.
A resident of the Hansapuri told PTI that the mob came to their home at around 10.30 pm and burnt their vehicles parked outside the house and a fire also broke out as they torched vehicles and properties.
Another eyewitness said that the mob had covered their faces and broke the CCTV camera. They also tried to break into their homes.
Google Trends
According to Google Trends, searches for the term "Nagpur" peaked on Tuesday following violence in Maharashtra's Nagpur on Monday amid rumours of the burning of a holy book. The highest number of searches came from Maharashtra, followed by Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Goa. Related searches included "Aurangzeb tomb," "Aurangzeb tomb Nagpur," "Nagpur riots," "Nagpur curfew," and “Mahal Nagpur news.”
