At least nine Muslim men have been arrested in connection with the violence that broke out on Saturday night during a Hanuman Jayanti rally in Madhya Pradesh’s Guna district, police said.
Tensions escalated between the Hindu and Muslim communities in Colonelganj, Guna district of Madhya Pradesh, after a DJ was played in front of a mosque during a Hanuman Jayanti procession.
The Muslim men were arrested on the basis of a complaint from local BJP municipal councillor Om Prakash ‘Gabbar’ Kushwah, who also led the Hanuman Jayanti rally.
His complaint named 4–5 individuals and 15–20 others as unidentified under Sections 109, 296, 324(4), 125, 190 and other relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita.
The nine arrested Muslim men include Vicky Khan and his son Sameer Khan, Taufiq, Sonu, Anas, Shaqil, Atiq, Sahil, and Sohrab.
Upon reaching the mosque, provocative and genocidal slogans were raised by members of the Hanuman Jayanti rally, and people of the two communities clashed with each other.
Guna Superintendent of Police Sanjeev Kumar Sinha stated that the procession was carried out without official permission and that provocative slogans were raised near a religious site of a particular community, which led to a confrontation between the two groups suddenly turning violent.
Speaking to the local media, he said, “That procession (Yatra) was going from there, for which no permission was granted. The procession was forcefully taken out and was stopped near the religious place of a particular community and slogans were raised, due to which a situation of dispute arose between the two sides. We have spoken to elders of both communities and the situation is now under control.”
Guna SP Sanjeev Kumar Sinha said, “There is peace in the city. Sufficient police force has been deployed. There are 15 fixed pickets and nine mobile vehicles running around the clock… An FIR was registered against five named accused and 15–20 unknown people… Today, nine have been arrested and seven are being questioned. More people are being identified based on video footage. Drones were used to make sure that any such material used in stone pelting was not present anywhere…”
Guna Collector Mr. Kishore Kumar Kanyal appealed to the district residents to keep peace and not pay attention to rumors.
He urged all peace committee members of Guna district to actively visit the people in their respective areas and convey the message of peace, harmony, and brotherhood.
“Guna Nagar has always been peaceful and full of communal harmony. All citizens together keep the city tradition and pay attention to any rumors. Peace committee members should give this message to the people that it is a shared responsibility of all of us to maintain the happiness and social unity of the district. United – Safe – Quiet, this should be our resolution,” he said in a Facebook post.
However, local Muslims alleged that police action is targeted as only Muslim men were arrested.
