Nagpur Violence: Highlights

Shiv Sena activists staged a demonstration in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar on Tuesday, announcing a reward of five bighas of agricultural land for anyone who demolishes the tomb of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, said district president Bittu Sikheda.

Addressing the gathering, Sikheda declared that historical sites associated with Aurangzeb should be removed from the country, alleging that the Mughal ruler was responsible for atrocities against Hindus.

Police in Maharashtra's Nagpur have registered a case against some office-bearers of Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal for allegedly hurting religious sentiments during their protest demanding removal of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb's tomb, officials said on Tuesday.

The first information report (FIR) was registered at the Ganeshpeth police station against Govind Shende, VHP's secretary in-charge of Maharashtra and Goa and others, they told news agency PTI.

Others named in the FIR against VHP and Bajrang Dal office-bearers include Amol Thakre, Dr Mahajan, Tayani, Rajat Puri, Sushil, Vrushabh Arkhel, Shubham and Mukesh Barapatre under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

"I am not the chief minister, nor am I the home minister, ask the chief minister who is behind this (violence). Because the RSS headquarters is there. There is a double-engine government here; if the double-engine government has failed, then they should resign...If you want, you can remove his (Aurangzeb's) grave, but call Chandrababu Naidu and Nitish Kumar during that time," Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray tells news agency ANI on Nagpur violence.

"The CM in the assembly said that this incident was pre-planned. I would like to ask him if the police are not aware, is this a government's failure or the police's failure?" Patole asked in a tic-tac with news agency PTI.

"Some groups instigated the violence there (Nagpur). It was a pre-planned conspiracy because otherwise this would not have happened in such a short period of time. The administration will take strict action against those who were involved in this," Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde tells news agency ANI.

Uttar Pradesh minister Om Prakash Rajbhar, on Tuesday, said that the chaos in Nagpur was created by anarchist elements who did not respect society.
"Such chaos is created by some anarchist elements that do not have respect for the society and they should not be spared," Rajbhar told ANI.

Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad requested the people of Maharashtra to maintain peace.

"I request the people of Maharashtra to maintain peace... Maharaja Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was a leader who went ahead, keeping everyone together... Some people are trying to damage the social atmosphere in Maharashtra... The politics is leaned towards religion," Gaikwad told ANI.

On the Nagpur incident, Congress MP Praniti Shinde says, "...The issue which is 300 years old is a diversion tactic as there are many issues in Maharashtra. Devendra Fadnavis as the Home Minister is a big failure and to hide it, these kinds of things are being done...Continuous efforts are made (by the BJP) to instigate riots in Maharashtra and the nation...But the public of Maharashtra does not listen to them (BJP)...They want to harm the social balance of Maharashtra..."

On Nagpur violence, BJP MLA Ram Kadam says, "Abu Azmi is responsible for this... He started this issue... This was a preplanned violence to defame the government... The ASI protected Aurangzeb's grave when Congress was in power. The Maharashtra government will take action within the limits of law..."

On Nagpur violence, Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde says, "...I will also say that even a true Muslim of the country will not support Aurangzeb. Aurangzeb was the enemy of Maharashtra, the enemy of the country...Aurangzeb is a traitor. The protestors are protesting for the pride of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and those who support Aurangzeb should read history and watch the movie 'Chhava'..."

Rajasthan minister Madan Dilawar says, "It must be nationalist people demanding the removal of the tomb. Aurangzeb, Babur and Akbar were invaders who murdered thousands and praising them is not right... Sign and symbol of each invader, robber, hooligan should definitely be removed..."

VHP leader Vinod Bansal says, "Violence was spread as part of a pre-planned conspiracy. We are confident that the Maharashtra government is taking action against those who were involved."

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday criticised CM Devendra Fadnavis and his ministers, stating, "We need to examine the statements made by the CM and ministers in recent weeks. The biggest provocation is coming from the government, and they don't even feel responsible. Pictures of an emperor were set on fire, and despite complaints, no action was taken. I condemn the violence, but the incident must be viewed in its entirety. The provocative statements from the government are highly inappropriate. The government has failed in its responsibility, and this reflects a failure in intelligence. This incident occurred both in the CM's hometown and near the residence of a Union minister."

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday described the violent clashes in Nagpur as a pre-planned attack, attributing heightened emotions to the release of the movie Chhava, which depicted the brutal atrocities committed by Aurangzeb against Sambhaji Maharaj.

MoS home minister Yogesh Kadam commented on the Nagpur violence, stating that the exact reason behind the incident is still unclear but an investigation is in progress.

"The reason behind the violence is not clear yet, but the investigation is underway and around 47 people have been taken into custody. 12 to 14 police officials have been injured in the incident. We will find out the main reason behind the violence," said Kadam.

Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule visited injured police personnel at a hospital.

"Our two DCPs are admitted here. One of them has serious injuries as he was attacked with an axe. As many as 34 police personnel were injured. It is very unfortunate that such an incident took place in Nagpur, a city which is known for its heritage and culture. Nagpur is a city which keeps people of every religion together. Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians—everyone celebrates all the festivals together. I appeal to people to inform the police about those who are trying to create trouble. We should all help the police to get to the mastermind of this incident," said Bawankule.

Congress MP Imran Masood, speaking on the Nagpur violence, blamed the government for the unrest. He stated, "The government is responsible for it. Unfortunately, the people are made to fight against each other under the protection of the government. The CM should take action against those who are behind it, irrespective of their religion. New stories are being fabricated based on the past. This is not in the country's favour."

Maharashtra deputy CM Eknath Shinde condemned the Nagpur violence, calling it a pre-planned attack aimed at spreading communal unrest.

"The incident which took place in very unfortunate. Around 2,000 to 3,000 people gathered and attacked the houses in Mominpura, Chitnis Nagar, and other areas. They pelted stones and attacked them... Does this mean that this was pre-planned... Not only did they attack the common people but they also attacked police officials. Such people are trying to spread communal violence. Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis is closely monitoring the investigation and any of the persons behind this will not be spared," said Shinde.

Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, speaking in the Assembly on the Nagpur violence said, "In Nagpur, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal held protests. Rumours were spread that things containing religious content were burnt....It looks like a well-planned attack. No one has permission to take law and order into their hands."

During the unrest, 45 vehicles were vandalized. District guardian minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule assured strict action against those responsible and stated that social media accounts are being monitored to track those spreading rumors.

On Nagpur violence, BJP MP Anup Dhotre says, "... This incident is a planned incident... Politically motivated people who are not concerned about Muslim's welfare have done this for their personal interests... But our CM Devendra Fadnavis and HM Amit Shah know how to tackle such situations... Such incidents have happened before and after independence for political gains. A common Muslim person does not involve in such activities... "

On Nagpur violence, Maharashtra Minister Sanjay Shirsat says, "Maha Vikas Aghadi is behind the violence in Nagpur... Why is any Muslim not coming forward from the place where the grave is? Even Muslims don't want the grave to be there... They (Opposition) are doing this to show that they stand with Muslims, but they don't realise that even Muslims don't want that..."

Shiv Sena MLA Manisha Kayande condemned the Nagpur violence and demanded strict action against those spreading rumours. She stated, "We condemn the Nagpur violence. Those who spread rumours should be put behind bars and punished. Such a thing will not be tolerated in Maharashtra. The way stones were pelted, and violence erupted on a large scale, it could not have happened without pre-planning." She also emphasized that the issue must be resolved logically, saying, "This matter must come to a logical end. Because aarop aur pratyarop (accusations and counter accusations)...and this type of violence must be stopped. The state government should give a statement in both houses of the Assembly."

Following the clashes, Nagpur police imposed a curfew in nine police station areas under Zone 3 and Zone 4 to prevent further escalation. Around 80 to 100 rioters were detained for arson and vandalism, and the curfew order issued by Commissioner Dr. Ravindra Kumar Singhal will remain in effect until March 28 under the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).

Central Nagpur MLA Pravin Datke accused the city police of an intelligence failure, claiming they allowed a pre-planned attack on Hindu shops and vehicles during the March 17 violence in Mahal. He criticized the lack of police presence in a communally sensitive area, which, according to him, emboldened rioters to target Hindu-owned properties.

School bus operators also took precautionary measures, with many deciding not to operate within city limits. School Bus Owners Association member Samar Jog stated that while no official order was issued, around 750 buses stayed off roads, while some in rural areas continued services.

Many schools and colleges in Nagpur remained closed on Tuesday, with some ordered shut by authorities while others closed voluntarily as a precaution. District Collector Dr. Vipin Itankar stated that only institutions in impacted zones were ordered shut, while others took independent decisions based on student safety concerns.

RJD MP Sudhakar Singh says, "The central government is weak. I believe that the central government is incapable of preventing such incident. They (BJP) are trying to divide the society on religion, cast lines. People responsible for partition of the country are now sitting in power."

After 60 minutes of rioting, the old quarters of Mahal, where history breathes through its narrow lanes and bustling markets, was enveloped by an eerie silence at midnight, often punctuated by sporadic sloganeering.In the late evening hours of Monday, Mahal was burning. It was just not just the towering flames, the area was swamped by chaos and hate that lingered much after the last stone was hurled.

BJP MLA (Nagpur Central) Pravin Datke says, "I have reached here this early morning. This entire thing was preplanned. After an agitation yesterday morning, an incident took place at Ganesh Peth police station, then everything was normal... Later, the mob entered only Hindu houses and shops... First, all the cameras were broken and then the violence was carried out with weapons in a preplanned manner... I spoke to the CP (Commissioner of Police), this is a sensitive area... We called PI Sanjay Singh for two hours but his phone was off... We had been reaching out to the police. When the police reached here, everything was done here... I will also speak to the CM... The images of the perpetrators are in the DVRs. We will provide it to the police... It is regrettable that yesterday, the police did not stand with the Hindu citizens... PIs like Sanjay Singh don't listen to the citizens... A large part of the mob came from the outside..."

The curfew applies to police station limits in Kotwali, Ganeshpeth, Tehsil, Lakadganj, Pachpaoli, Shantinagar, Sakkardara, Nandanvan, Imamwada, Yashodharanagar, and Kapilnagar. The police have imposed a "communication ban (curfew)" in affected areas under Section 163 to prevent further incidents and maintain peace.

"During the lockdown period, no person should go out of the house for any reason other than medical reasons, nor should more than five people gather inside it. Also, orders are passed to prohibit spreading any kind of rumour, prohibiting doing all such acts," the order read. The police have been authorised to close roads in affected areas to maintain law and order.

Anyone violating the curfew "remains punishable under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS)." However, the order clarifies that it "will not be applicable to police officers/employees on duty as well as government/administrative officers/employees, students appearing for essential services, and persons related to the fire brigade and various departments."