Around 40 people have been arrested after communal clashes broke out between members of the Hindu and Muslim communities in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district on Wednesday, following a dispute over a temporary shop in the Rabindranagar area of Maheshtala, on the outskirts of Kolkata.
“A total of 40 people have been arrested so far in seven cases registered over the incident. None of those who have indulged in violence will be spared,” the police said.
“None of those who indulged in violence will be spared,” they said.
They added that whether the illegal construction was planned and designed as part of a “conspiracy to fuel communal tension” is also being probed with utmost seriousness.
The situation is now peaceful and under control, according to the police.
Prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the BNSS have been imposed in the Rabindra Nagar PS area in the interest of peace, and representatives of all political parties or groups are advised not to visit the area until the 163 BNSS order is lifted.
The police urged the public to remain calm and not indulge in rumour-mongering on social media, warning, “Those trying to trigger unrest will be sternly dealt with as per law.”
The clashes began around Wednesday noon when a youth from Nadiyal noticed that a Tulsi plant had been placed at the spot in the Rabindra Nagar area where he hadn’t set up his shop for the past few days.
His attempt to reclaim the area triggered an initial scuffle between two groups, which escalated after a larger group from Nadiyal arrived, leading to violent clashes.
Despite initial efforts by the police to defuse tensions, stone-pelting broke out, several shops were vandalised, and multiple police personnel were injured in the clash.
