‘Chhava’ reignited people’s emotions, says Fadnavis
Nagpur: The police in Maharashtra’s Nagpur have registered a case against some office-bearers of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the 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 said.
Violence erupted in central Nagpur’s Chitnis Park in Mahal area on Monday around 7.30 pm, with stones hurled at the police amid rumours that the holy book of a community was burnt during a VHP’s agitation seeking the removal of Aurangzeb’s tomb located in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district.
A complaint was lodged against the protesters after the agitation, accusing them of hurting the religious sentiments of a community. Based on the complaint, an FIR was registered, an official of Ganeshpeth police station said.
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), he said.
But no arrest has been made so far, he said.
After the violence rocked the eastern Maharashtra city on Monday night, the police imposed a curfew around 4.30 am on Tuesday, which continues to be in force in several areas, including Kotwali, Ganeshpeth and Lakadganj, where only essential movement is allowed, officials said.
Security forces are patrolling 11 highly sensitive locations in the city, and checkpoints have been set up across the city, they said.
To maintain law and order situation, personnel of quick response teams and riot control police are stationed in the affected areas, and barricades have been set up to block roads leading to riot-hit zones.
Shops in curfew-affected areas remained shut throughout the day, they said.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis claimed that the violence was premeditated.
Speaking in the legislative assembly on Tuesday, Fadnavis said the Vicky Kaushal-starrer film ‘Chhaava’, based on the life of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, reignited people’s emotions against the Mughal emperor and brought before them the true history of the Maratha king.
Five FIRs have been registered in connection with the violence, Nagpur police commissioner Ravinder Kumar Singal said on Tuesday.
More than 50 persons have been taken into custody over the violence.
As many as 34 police personnel were injured in the violence, state BJP president and Nagpur Guardian Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said after visiting the injured police personnel at a hospital in Nagpur on Tuesday.
The situation now is a little tense, but there is peace in the city with adequate police force deployed, Bawankule said.
Opposition MPs on Tuesday blamed the BJP-led Maharashtra government for the Nagpur violence, while Union minister Ramdas Athawale said the movie ‘Chhaava’ stoked people’s sentiments against 17th-century Mughal king Aurangzeb.
BSP chief Mayawati said, “It is not right to damage or break anyone’s grave or mausoleum in Maharashtra because this is spoiling the mutual brotherhood, peace and harmony there.”
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said, “Instigating violence, creating instability in the state, keeping the citizens busy over the past history while getting away with tough questions on the state’s financial doom, increased debt burden, growing joblessness and farmer suicides.”
Leader of Opposition in the state legislative council Ambadas Danve blamed Fadnavis and his government for the violence in Nagpur, which is the CM’s hometown.
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi criticised Fadnavis and his ministers, stating, “We need to examine the statements made by the CM and ministers in recent weeks.”
