Muslims’ Bandh turns violent

Violence erupted in the walled city area on Friday forcing the police to burst 37 teargas shells to quell mobs that was forcibly trying to shut down business establishments.

The Muslim community, irked by police callousness to initiate action against Bajrang Dal activists extorting money from traders and vendors, had called a voluntary bandh on Friday. But the Muslim community’s bandh turned violent when they allegedly forced Hindu traders to shut down shutters for a day.

In the ensuing violence, the police lobbed teargas shells and resorted to violence. According to the Muslims, several Bajrang Dal activists, who the police claim are local bullies, severely beat up Muslim vendors when they refused to shell out contribution for the Ganesh Mahostav two days ago at Cadilla Bridge, Ghodasar. Three of the vendors had to be hospitalised.,

Meanwhile, late on Friday evening, more stone-throwing incidents continued and the shed of one Hanuman temple was damaged at Trikonia Baug at Mirzapur. Some incidents of violence continued even while going to press. Earlier, a shop and a cabin were burnt at the Sindhi Market at PanchKuva, Kalpur and three motorcycles were set ablaze by a mob at 10.20 am.

One shop was burnt and stones were thrown at Gheekanta Road in the evening while stone throwing also took place at Bhakar Ali Wadi, Mirzapur in the evening around 5 pm. Earlier in the morning, some 20 people, who were trying to get people to close shops and offices, stoned the Cama Motors showroom at Khanpur and caused damaged worth Rs 75,000.

Commissioner of police Mr. P C Pande said that this was a small incident, which was just communalised and politicised unnecessarily. "Actually some local bullies roughed up vendors at Cadilla Bridge and before the police could do anything it was alleged they were inactive," he said. Mr. Pande said that when the offense was registered at Vatva police station on Wednesday, only one person was named in the incident and his surname and his residence was not even mentioned in the complaint. He said that the complainant stated that there were 7-8 people involved in the crime but except for one nobody else was named.

There was heavy police bandobast in the walled city and neighbouring areas, which have majority Muslim population. Shops at Shahpur, Mirzapur, Khanpur, Relief Road, Dariapur, Kalupur, Astodia, Panchkuva, Teen Darwaja, Dhargadhwad, Manek Chowk and other Muslim dominated areas were closed.
But all the shops in Hindu-dominated areas remained opened under police bandobast.

But despite the show of nonchalance there was a perceptible feeling of tension in the walled city.Meanwhile, police bandobast was tight with two companies of Rapid Action force and two companies of SRPF called in to assist the local police to keep the situation under control. Both the joint commissioner of police, Mr. M K Tandon, and the additional commissioner of police, Mr. Shivanand Jha, were at the sensitive spots to keep tab on the latest developments.

Republished from The Asian Age