MP: Tension in Khandwa after objectionable FB post

Tension gripped Madhya Pradesh’s Khandwa district Wednesday following violent protests triggered by a Facebook post that showed objectionable sketches next to the photo of a minority community’s shrine.

Tension gripped Madhya Pradesh’s Khandwa district Wednesday following violent protests triggered by a Facebook post that showed objectionable sketches next to the photo of a minority community’s shrine.

Additional security was deployed and prohibitory orders under Section 144 were clamped in the district after an unconfirmed report of a man being stabbed to death during the protests. At least six people including a policeman were also injured as stones were thrown during the protest late Wednesday.

The Facebook post was allegedly shared from the profile of Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Khandwa municipality president Amar Yadav. Yadav, however, denied his involvement, claiming a fake profile was created on the social media platform under his name.

The police had recently arrested a man in Rajasthan for sharing a morphed photograph of the minority community’s pilgrimage site on mobile application WhatsApp. The accused later revealed he received the objectionable image from a WhatsApp contact in Chhattisgarh.

Khandwa has witnessed several communal flare-ups in the past — the most recent in December last year after idols worshipped by a community were damaged by miscreants.