Incidents of stone-pelting were reported from Rajasthan’s Jodhpur following which hundreds of police personnel have been deployed in the area.
Rajasthan: In a breaking development, incidents of stone-pelting were reported from Rajasthan’s Jodhpur city on Monday, May 2. The city on Monday night witnessed violent clashes between two communities ahead of the Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations. The clashes broke out at the Jalori Gate intersection while hundreds of police personnel have been deployed as several individuals were reported injured in the clashes.
The clashes broke out in Jodhpur after an argument between two communities over putting up the Islamic flag at Balmukand Bissa circle and removing the saffron flag. The argument soon escalated to violent altercations following which, police arrived at the spot and resorted to lathi-charge. The police also used tear gas to disperse the crowd in the area after over a dozen people sustained injuries from the stone-pelting incident.
As per reports, the police are still on the spot. The clashes that broke out late on Monday night are still underway in some areas. Meanwhile, the CM Gehlot government has suspended the internet services in Jodhpur in the wake of the clashes. The services have been cut off as a precautionary measure and to maintain law and order in the city. Tension prevails in the Ashok Gehlot-led state as the latest case of violent clashes comes only weeks after the Karauli violence incident where many were reported injured in stone-pelting.
Karauli violence
On the day of the Hindu New year on May 2, incidents of stone-pelting, arson and vandalism were reported when a bike rally was passing through a Muslim dominated area in Rajasthan’s Karauli city, leading to altercations between two groups. After the communal violence, Congress councillor Matloob Ahmed was found to be the main conspirator in the stone-pelting incident, however, his wife denied the charge and counter-accused BJP and RSS of framing her husband in the matter. It is pertinent to note that Ahmed has been absconding since the day of the violence.
Violent clashes in other states
Several incidents of violence were reported across various states on the occasions of Hanuman Jayanti and Ram Navami. In a similar manner, the Shobha Yatras or religious processions were attacked with stones, sticks, swords and more weapons, leaving many injured including both civilians and policemen. The incidents were reported from Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Gujarat, Jharkhand, and West Bengal. Following this, the riot-hit Khargone district of Madhya Pradesh was put under a 24-hour curfew for Eid-al-Fitr and Akshaya Tritiya.
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