The shocking communal violence in 6 states on Ram Navami day

Ram Navami celebrations were marred by communal violence in various parts of the country on Sunday. Reports of violence, stone pelting and arson emerged from Khargone in Madhya Pradesh, Khambat and Himmatnagar in Gujarat, Lohardagga in Jharkhand, Howrah and Bankura in West Bengal, Central University of Karnataka in Gulbarga, and Jawahar Lal Nehru University in Delhi, where several students were injured.

The clashes erupted as rallies were taken out to mark the festival. Two deaths have been reported, one each from Gujarat and Jharkhand. Some minor incidents were also reported from Mumbai in Maharashtra and Goa.

One dead in Gujarat

In Gujarat’s Khambat city of Anand district, one person was killed and another injured when a communal clash erupted during a Ram Navami procession. “The body of an unidentified man, who appears to be around 65 years old, was recovered from the spot in Khambhat, where two groups pelted each other with stones after a clash broke out between them during a Ram Navami procession late this afternoon,” Superintendent of Police (SP) of Anand Ajit Rajyan was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. Police said nine persons have been arrested so far in Khambat.

A similar clash was also reported from Himmatnagar city in Sabarkantha district of the state, where also stone pelting and arson was reported. The police had to fire teargas shells to control the situation, officials said. Section 144 has been imposed in Himmatnagar following the violence, agencies reported.

Curfew in MP’s Khargone

In Madhya Pradesh, violence and stone pelting were reported from Khargone district of Madhya Pradesh. A curfew has been imposed in parts of the district and 77 people have been arrested so far, Madhya Pradesh Minister Narottam Mishra said.

A large number of security forces have also been deployed in the area, with a senior official saying that a ban has been imposed on the gathering of a large number of people, according to agency reports.

Violence was reported from the Talab Chowk and Tavdi areas of Khargone. Some videos went viral on social media that allegedly showed a mob pelting stones at the Talab Chowk mosque. Incidents of arson and vandalism of vehicles were also reported from other parts of the district.

BJP leader Kapil Mishra was in Khargone when the incident took place, according to The Indian Express report. He was there to attend the Shriram Janmotsav Shobha Yatra.

Additional Collector SS Mujalde said clashes broke out when stones were allegedly thrown at a procession that started from Talab Chowk area following an altercation over playing music from loudspeakers. Many policemen, including police superintendent Siddharth Chaudhary, were injured.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan have termed the incidents “unfortunate” and said the culprits have been identified and strict action would be taken.

Clashes in Jharkhand, one dead

Jharkhand’s Lohardagga district also witnessed stone-pelting and arson attacks during Ram Navami processions. Three persons were reported to be critically injured in the clash. Meanwhile, Quint reported the Lohardagga district administration as saying that one severely injured man succumbed to his injuries on Monday. The deceased was a resident of the Latehar district.

The region continues to be under heavy police deployment. “Additional forces have been deployed. Senior officers including two DIG and three SP are deployed in the area. The situation is being monitored and action is being taken accordingly. Section 144 has been imposed in the affected area,” Jharkhand Police said.

10 injured in Bengal’s Howrah

Communal clashes also broke out in Shibpur area of West Bengal’s Howrah city. Ten people were injured, with one being in critical condition, according to agency reports adding, the police resorted to lathi-charge and arrested 17 people in the matter.

The opposition BJP alleged that the police had attacked the Ram Navami procession. Leader of Opposition in Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, accused police personnel of raining blows on those participating in the procession. Police have requested residents to maintain restraint while posting anything on social media and have warned them against spreading any fake news.

There were reports of a clashes from Bankura in West Bengal as well, according to a Quint report. As per reports, police had asked the people taking part in the procession to not march in front of a mosque. However, they refused and made their way by removing police barricades. According to the police, some people also pelted stones, Quint reported.

Violence in Delhi’s JNU

Two groups of students clashed at Jawahar Lal University’s Kaveri Hostel late on Sunday night allegedly over serving of non-vegetarian food in the mess on Ram Navami. The row allegedly ensued over ABVP members stopping Kaveri hostel residents from having non-vegetarian food for dinner and also assaulted the mess secretary over the issue.

The JNU Students’ Association (JNUSU) blamed the ABVP for “forcing and attacking the mess committee to change the dinner menu and exclude the usual non-vegetarian items in it for all students,” agency reports said.

On the other hand, the ABVP accused ‘leftists’ of creating a ruckus and obstructing a Ram Navami pooja celebration. Videos also showed students engaging in heated arguments, requiring the intervention of university guards. Police said six students were injured in the incident.

Later, on Monday, JNU students affiliated to the All India Students Association (AISA) staged a protest near Delhi Police headquarters and demanded the arrest of ABVP activists for their alleged role in the violence.

Two injured in Karnataka’s Kalaburagi

Two students were injured in a clash during Ram Navami celebrations at the Central University of Karnataka in Kalaburagi, the police said. The injured students alleged that they were assaulted by a couple of other students when they were performing pooja at the Lakshmi Devi temple in the university campus.

The injured have been admitted to a hospital and the police has registered a case and arrested four people in this connection. The university too is conducting an inquiry into the incident.