NagpurOver 30 injured, section 163 enforced amid Aurangzeb tomb row

 

Nagpur went into severe violence, injuring over 30 people and consuming several cars into flames while it was just a couple of hours after a demonstration organised by Hindu outfits calling for the demolition of the Mughal emperor, Aurangzeb's mausoleum, in Maharashtra's Sambhaji Nagar. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has alleged that this violence was pre-planned.

Nearly 60 to 65 rioters have been arrested after the huge confrontation between two groups in the city's Mahal area, officials said. Twenty-five to 30 police officers were injured, and rioters torched about 25 bikes and three vehicles.

BJP MLA for Nagpur Central, Pravin Datke, who went to the spot, accused the violence of being staged. "All this was done on a planned basis. In the morning there was an agitation, then a commotion in the Ganesh Peth police station, but things were peaceful later. Thereafter, only Hindu houses and shops were attacked. First of all, cameras at all the places were damaged, and after that, atrocities were committed in a planned way using weapons," he alleged.

Datke also accused the police of not safeguarding Hindu citizens and said that a large part of the mob were outsiders. The violence broke out in the backdrop of the controversy surrounding the Aurangzeb tomb, with Hindu outfits such as Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) calling for its destruction. The two groups had also protested in Nagpur on Monday morning, hours before the violence began.

 

Government and Police Response

 

The Maharashtra Chief Minister's Office informed that police units were taking active control of the situation after reports of stone-pelting and heightened tensions in the Mahal area. "Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has urged citizens to cooperate fully with the administration," the release stated.

Nagpur MP Nitin Gadkari asked people to not panic and not spread rumours. “Because of some misinformation, religious tensions have erupted in Nagpur. The government will take stern action against the culprits. The Chief Minister has been given notice, and I request all to ignore rumours,” he said.

Nagpur Police Commissioner Ravinder Singal declared that Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita had been invoked, authorising magistrates to issue prompt preventive orders to forestall obstruction, danger to human life, or riots. “We have arrested more than 20 individuals, and the police are scanning CCTV footage to detect others. The situation is well in hand, and citizens are asked not to go out unnecessarily,” Singal added.

 

Political Reactions

 

Maharashtra Congress leader Harshvardhan Sapkal held the state home department responsible for not stopping the violence. According to him, ministers in the government have deliberately made incendiary speeches. Aaditya Thackeray, the Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA, also condemned the administration further saying, “The law and order of the state has collapsed like never before. Nagpur, the home city of the CM and Home Minister, is facing this.”

Maharashtra Minority Commission Chairman Pyare Khan referred to the violence as “very unfortunate” and appealed to residents to uphold peace. He alleged that outsiders were creating a disturbance in the city's communal harmony.

At the same time, Maharashtra State Home Minister Yogesh Kadam informed that investigations were being carried out. “The cause of the violence is still to be found. 47 individuals have so far been arrested. Of those injured, 12-14 are police officials, while 2-3 civilians also got injured. Strict action will be taken against those who resorted to taking the law into their own hands,” Kadam added.

Authorities continue to monitor the situation as tensions remain high in the region.