PTI
Jabalpur
Tension gripped Sihora town in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur district after a clash between Hindu and Muslim groups led to stone-pelting and vandalism, prompting the police to lob teargas shells, officials said on Friday. They said 49 people had been arrested so far and efforts are on to nab others involved in the unrest.
The violence erupted around 10 pm on Thursday near Azad Chowk, an area where a Durga temple and a mosque are located in close proximity.
While officials stated the situation is now under control and no injuries were reported, a heavy police presence remains on the ground, and most local shops remained closed on Friday.
Hindu organisations alleged that some miscreants broke the iron gate of the temple while an ‘aarti’ was being performed and also hurled stones while local Muslim residents said the clash erupted when the special Ramzan prayer and temple aarti were taking place simultaneously.
Superintendent of police Sampat Upadhyay said that after initial attempts to use “mild force” failed to disperse the crowd.
