Clashes broke out between two groups in Maharashtra’s Nagpur on Monday night after rumours spread that the Quran was burnt during a protest by right-wing outfits demanding the demolition of the tomb of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. Following the violence, a curfew has been imposed in multiple areas across the city.
According to the order issued by Nagpur Police Commissioner Ravinder Kumar Singal the areas that will remain under the curfew are Kotwali, Ganeshpeth, Tehsil, Lakadganj, Pachpaoli, Shantinagar, Sakkardara, Nandanvan, Imamwada, Yashodharanagar, and Kapilnagar.
The curfew will remain in effect until further notice, the police order stated.
The clashes erupted after members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal staged a protest near the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue in Mahal, Nagpur demanding the removal of the tomb.
During the protest, a rumour spread that the protesters burned a copy of the Quran. Soon, a group of 80 to 100 individuals gathered in the area and started pelting stones. The unrest spread to Kotwali and Ganeshpeth, where hundreds of people engaged in large-scale stone-pelting, vandalism, and arson.
The violence escalated further, prompting security forces to intervene. The unrest later spread to Nagpur’s Hansapuri area, where shops were vandalised, vehicles were torched, and stones were pelted. Another clash erupted near Old Bhandara Road between 10:30 pm and 11:30 pm, during which a mob set several vehicles on fire and damaged houses and a clinic.
Nagpur Police Commissioner Dr Ravinder Singal stated that while the situation was brought under control, several policemen sustained injuries during the clashes. He also informed that the police have taken over 50 people in custody and efforts are underway to identify more miscreants.
“The situation is under control and peaceful in Nagpur. More than 50 people have been taken into custody. We are identifying those who harmed public property. 33 police personnel were injured in the incident. The police had done a good job. Action will be taken against all those who are being identified. All relevant sections will be applied against the violators of the law. There are police and forces deployed in Nagpur. Curfew is imposed in parts of Nagpur. To prevent such an incident from occurring again, a meeting will be held with relevant people,” he said.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari have appealed for calm even as the Opposition held the state government responsible for the violence.
Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Council, Ambadas Danve said, “I am clearly stating that the Maharashtra government and state Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also holds the home department portfolio, are behind the Nagpur violence.”
“This government has made efforts for the last one month to stoke Hindu-Muslim violence in the state. Such violence would disrupt the daily lives of Hindus as well as Muslims, but (the government) wants to reap political benefits from it. The BJP and its associated organisations are trying to disrupt the harmony in the state,” Danve alleged.
The entire controversy over the Aurangzeb tomb began after Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi praised the Mughal emperor, leading to severe criticism and his suspension from the state assembly.
While Azmi later expressed regret over his remarks, several right-wing groups, including the VHP and Bajrang Dal, demanded the grave of Aurangzeb in Sambhaji Nagar be demolished. They also threatened a Babri-like fate if the government failed to remove the structure.