On Saturday (30 September), the Vadodara Police arrested 20 individuals for allegedly hurting the religious sentiments of the Hindu community while taking out a procession on the occasion of Eid Milad un Nabi in Padra in Gujarat’s Vadodara, PTI reported citing a police official.
Superintendent of Police (Vadodara Rural) Rohan Anand stated that some members of the procession made obscene gestures and uttered words hurting religious sentiments when it was passing by a temple on Friday night (29 September). He added that following the incident, a group of people from the Hindu community gathered outside Padra police station demanding strict action against the culprits.
According to the SP, the crowd was dispersed, and based on the complaint of one Ajay Parmar, an FIR was lodged against 13 identified and other unknown accused who were part of the procession.
The accused have been booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) including sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups), 294B (obscene acts and songs), 298 (uttering words, etc., with deliberate intent to wound religious feelings) and 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), the SP noted. He added that further investigation into the incident was underway.
According to media reports, on Friday (29 September), clashes broke out between Hindu and Muslim communities during an Eid Milad procession organised in Padra, Vadodara. It is alleged that when the procession reached the Ambaji temple, some Muslim youths from the crowd clashed with Hindu youths and uttered offensive words that hurt the religious sentiments of the Hindu community. Following the incident, Hindus reached the police station in large numbers and lodged a complaint.
Notably, the Muslim community was taking out a procession in Padra on the occasion of Eid-e-Milad-Un-Nabi, the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad. At around 10 PM, the procession reached the Ambaji temple located in the city where some Hindu youths were distributing prasad in the temple.
According to the complaint of Hindu organisations, the individuals who were part of the procession engaged in brawls with them. They added that Muslim youths used obscene gestures and verbal abuse at them which vitiated the atmosphere.
However, when things started to escalate, youths from the Hindu community reached the Padra police station in large numbers and gave a petition demanding strict action against the Muslim youths who were making inciting remarks. Subsequently, the police reached the spot and dispersed the crowd to bring the situation under control.
The police officials have retrieved the CCTV footage and based on its analysis the identity of the accused will be established and further action will be taken.
According to SP Rohan Anand, the presence of some of the youths who were making inciting remarks has already been established at the place of inquiry regarding their whereabouts at the time of the incident. Meanwhile, investigations are ongoing for the others.
He stated that the preliminary investigation revealed that there was an altercation between the people who were part of the procession and those who were sitting in the temple which hurt the religious sentiments.
It was also alleged that the Muslim youths were carrying swords and sticks in Eid processions. Regarding this, the police noted that this has also come to their attention. They added that if the investigation finds the allegations to be true and the footage is found, then another complaint will be filed regarding the same.
The third incident in the last 48 hours
Apparently, three such incidents have taken place in the last 48 hours. Apart from this incident, stones were pelted on Hindu processions in the remaining two incidences.
Notably, on Thursday (28 September), during Ganesh Visharan, stones were pelted on Ganesh Yatra in Manjusar of Savli Taluka of Vadodara. Later, on 29 September, a Muslim mob pelted stones on the ‘Shaurya Jagran Yatra’ which was organised by Bajrang Dal in Selamba of Narmada district.
A police complaint has been registered in all three incidents and the district police are currently investigating the matter.
