Nagpur violence was pre-planned. Mob had weapons, stones in trolley: Fadnavis

MUMBAI: Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said that the communal violence that broke out in parts of Nagpur city on Monday was a pre-planned attack and there was a specific pattern behind the riots by groups of people.

Violence broke out in Nagpur’s Mahal area on Monday after members of Hindu right-wing outfits including the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Bajrang Dal held a demonstration near the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue in Mahal area.

Fadnavis said after a first information report (FIR) was lodged against VHP and Bajrang Dal protesters at Ganeshpeth police station, a mob of people gathered in the Hansapuri and Attar Road areas with weapons and stones and shouted slogans to instigate violence.

“A rumour was spread that a replica burnt by VHP and Bajrang Dal protesters in the morning had religious scriptures on it. The mob coming out from a mosque resorted to sloganeering resulting in the rioting. The police then resorted to lathicharge and used force to disperse the mob. The mob had weapons and a trolley full of stones. They were targeting residents and shops of a particular community,” the chief minister told the state assembly on Tuesday.

One crane and two JCBs apart from some four-wheelers were also torched in the rioting, he added.

“It looks like a well-planned attack,” he said.

Fadnavis said that three cases have been lodged and two more are being lodged in Tehsil Police station.

The chief minister 33 police personnel including three deputy commissioner of police (DCP) were injured in the violence.

“One DCP was attacked with an axe and was injured. One of the five civilians injured in the violence is in ICU. There was a pre-planned pattern behind the riots,” he added.

“Curfew has been imposed in the jurisdiction of 11 police stations and a number of entry points to the city have been sealed. Five companies of the State Reserve Police Force have been deployed to maintain law and order in the city. The state director general of police (DGP) held a video conference with commissioners and superintendents of police in the state to maintain law and order. Nobody involved in disturbing law and order in the state will be spared, irrespective of their religious identity,” he said.

Fadnavis said that though the film Chhava has brought the true history related to Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj to light, it also aroused the sentiments against Mughal emperor Aurangzeb among people. He said that the law and order disturbance affects the investment in the state and appealed to people of the state to respect each other’s religion and maintain brotherhood.