Nagpur violence updates: 51 booked, curfew continues as Aurangzeb tomb dispute rages
Curfew remains in effect in multiple Nagpur areas, including Kotwali, Tehsil, and Nandanvan, as per police commissioner's order, until further notice.
Curfew remains enforced for the second consecutive day on Wednesday across 10 police station limits in Maharashtra's Nagpur following the violent clashes that erupted on March 17.
An FIR has been registered under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, along with other laws, including the Arms Act, Maharashtra Police Act, and the Prevention of Public Property Damage Act, at Ganeshpeth Police Station.
The complaint, filed by Police Inspector Jitendra Baburao Gadge, names 51 individuals, including several minors. The accused are mainly from Nagpur city, residing in areas such as Jafar Nagar, Tajbagh, Mominpura, and Bhalaadapura.
According to an official order issued on March 17, around 200 to 250 members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal assembled near the Shivaji Maharaj statue in Mahal, Nagpur, in support of removing Aurangzeb's grave. The protesters chanted slogans demanding its removal and displayed a symbolic green cloth filled with cow dung cakes.
Latest updates
- Restrictions will continue until further notice, as per an official order issued by Nagpur Police Commissioner Ravinder Kumar Singal. The curfew applies to police station limits in Kotwali, Ganeshpeth, Tehsil, Lakadganj, Pachpaoli, Shantinagar, Sakkardara, Nandanvan, Imamwada, Yashodharanagar, and Kapilnagar.
- Police commissioner Ravinder Kumar Singal said that authorities will reassess the situation in the afternoon. Another official reported that over 2,000 armed police personnel have been stationed in sensitive areas. Quick Response Teams (QRT) and Riot Control Police (RCP), led by a DCP-rank officer, are also patrolling the affected regions.
- Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) member Rajkumar Sharma alleged that the violence in Nagpur was premeditated. He blamed it on "Aurangzeb ki aulad," asserting that certain groups deliberately escalated tensions after a protest regarding the removal of a grave, despite prior discussions with the police and the local Muslim community.
- Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde, drawing a comparison, remarked that the US did not allow Osama bin Laden to be buried on its land to prevent glorification. His comments came on Tuesday during a heated debate in the legislative council, where he criticised the glorification of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, whose tomb has become a contentious issue with right-wing groups demanding its removal.
- NCP (SCP) leader Rohit Pawar on Wednesday said that action should be taken against those involved in the Nagpur violence. He pointed out that the government indirectly admitted an intelligence lapse. “If something is preplanned and the police do not know about it, then it is an intelligence failure... If anyone is involved in violence, then action will be taken against them; they may be from any community,” he told ANI.
- Union minister Prahlad Joshi assured that the Maharashtra government is taking strict measures against those responsible for the Nagpur violence. He said that the government is effectively managing the situation. “Govt is handling the situation very well and such things should not happen... Maharashtra govt is taking action against them,” he said.
- Several BJP MPs have criticised the violence in Nagpur over demands to remove Aurangzeb’s tomb. BJP MP Ashok Chavan described the violence as a “sad incident” and said that the situation has been brought under control. He added, “The truth will come out after investigation.” Chavan further stressed that communal riots should not occur over such matters, especially in a progressive state like Maharashtra.
(With ANI, PTI inputs)
