Stones were pelted and both private and public vehicles were set on fire as a clash broke out between two groups in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on Wednesday night. Some police vans were also caught in the blaze in the Kiradpura area.
According to reports, the clash broke out due to a “rumour” regarding damage to the Ram temple in the area. However, Maharashtra Minister Atul Save urged people to not believe in any rumour.
According to reports, around 45 people have been arrested in the case so far, and 4 people were injured during the clashes. Music playing outside a mosque while Namaz was going on in the holy month of Ramadan was also responsible for the clash, an ANI report said.
The clash broke out on the intervening night of March 29 and 30. According to the Commissioner of Police (CP) of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Nikhil Gupta, strict action will be taken against those behind the incident.
Maharashtra | A clash broke out between two groups in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar's Kiradpura area
Stones were pelted, some private & police vehicles were set on fire. Police used force to disperse the people and now the situation is peaceful. Police will take strict action… pic.twitter.com/u9qa5XYyPk
— ANI (@ANI) March 30, 2023
There was a confrontation between two groups after some devotees came out of the Ram temple in the area, said Union Minister Bhagwat Karad. He said 7 to 8 police teams have been formed to nab those involved in the incident.
“Stones were pelted, and some private and police vehicles were set on fire. Police used force to disperse the people and now the situation is peaceful,” Gupta said. Police had to use force to disperse the people and the situation was taken under control.
However, there was no harm to the temple as opposed to “some false news was spread that some miscreants had attacked the temple”, said AIMIM’s National Corporator Mohammed Naseeruddin.
The exact cause of the clash is not clear, but according to sources, some communally charged slogans led to a brawl between the two groups, which in turn led to vehicles being torched and stones pelting.
According to police, the situation is tense but under control now in Kiradpura, as several political leaders reached the spot and have appealed for peace.
