Khargone clashes : Over 80 accused held, their illegal constructions being bulldozed

A day after stone pelting on Ram Navami procession in Madhya Pradesh’s Khargone, the district administration has arrested over 80 people and started bulldozing illegal constructions of the accused.

The administration had earlier imposed curfew in Khargone after the rioters pelted stones at a Ram Navami procession on Sunday (10 April).

मध्यप्रदेश: खरगोन में रामनवमी की शोभायात्रा पर जिन्होंने पथराव किया था पुलिस ने उन आरोपियों के घरों पर बुलडोजर चलाया pic.twitter.com/q4GS4AMHa2

— Newsroom Post (@NewsroomPostCom) April 11, 2022

Further, three government officials have been suspended for spreading rumours over the communal violence in the city, news agency ANI quoted divisional commissioner Pawan Sharma as saying.

“The government has a zero tolerance policy for rioting. So far, 84 persons have been arrested and 50 illegal constructions of these accused have been identified. The demolition of these illegal constructions has already started,” Indore Divisional Commissioner Pawan Sharma told reporters in Khargone.

खरगोन में 5 जेसीबी से दंगाइयों के घर पर की जा रही है अतिक्रमण की कार्रवाई । pic.twitter.com/xR4kWpfkwG

— Shubham Gupta (@shubhjournalist) April 11, 2022

The action comes after Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced that the rioters won’t be spared and strict action would be taken against them.

#रामनवमी के अवसर पर खरगोन में हुई घटना दुर्भाग्यपूर्ण है। मध्यप्रदेश की धरती पर दंगाइयों के लिए कोई स्थान नहीं है।

यह दंगाई चिन्हित कर लिए गए हैं, इनको छोड़ा नहीं जाएगा। उनके खिलाफ कठोरतम कार्यवाही की जाएगी। pic.twitter.com/1hTzWX4WM9

— Shivraj Singh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) April 11, 2022

“They will not only be sent to jails but also made to pay for vandalising public as well as private property. We are forming a ‘Claims Tribunal’,” CM Chouhan had said.

Sharma said damage caused to public and private properties during the violence will be recovered from rioters.

Source : Swarajya Mag

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Madhya Pradesh : Stone-pelting at Ram Navami procession triggers violence

11 April 2022

Bhopal: A curfew has been imposed in some areas of Madhya Pradesh’s Khargone city after stones were pelted at a Ram Navami procession on Sunday.

Following the stone-pelting incident, clashes broke out in some parts of the city wherein some vehicles were set ablaze, forcing authorities to put three areas under curfew and impose section 144 of CrPC in the entire city.

People of special community pelted stones on the religious procession of #RamNavami in #khargone, Madhya Pradesh. pic.twitter.com/YPKdOmgW2s

— Nikhil Choudhary (@NikhilCh_) April 10, 2022

खरगोन में रामनवमी के जुलूस पर हुआ पथराव, आगजनी की घटना निंदनीय है। इस घटना को अंजाम देने वाले आरोपियों पर जल्द से जल्द कठोर कार्रवाई की जाएं। pic.twitter.com/8NJU3rU0d3

— Kailash Vijayvargiya (@KailashOnline) April 10, 2022

Police fired tear gas shells to bring the situation under control. Some people, including Khargone superintendent of police Sidharth Choudhary and two policemen, were also injured in the clashes. The Khargone SP, who sustained injury to his foot, is admitted to a private hospital.

“When the Ram Navami procession started from the Talab Chowk area near the district headquarters stones were pelted at the gathering, prompting the police to fire tear gas shells to control the situation. Some policemen and people were injured,” said Khargone Additional Collector Sumersingh Mujalde.

The procession was supposed to take a round of Khargone city but it could not proceed further after the violence, the collector added.

As per reports, the procession was passing through a Muslim-dominated area when residents objected to the songs playing from loudspeakers and allegedly threw stones.

Curfew imposed in three areas of Khargone

“Curfew has been clamped in three areas including Talab Chowk and Tavdi in the city,” Khargone District Collector Anugrah P was quoted as saying by PTI.

He also said section 144 of CrPC (banning assembly of four or more people) has been imposed in the entire city.

In the aftermath of the curfew, residents of Khargone city have been asked to only step out of their houses in case of a medical emergency. The district collector warned against posting objectionable messages on social media, which could further aggravate the law and order situation.

पूरे खरगोन शहर में कर्फ़्यू लागू है। मेडिकल इमरजेंसी सेवा के लिए ADM श्री एसएस मुजाल्दा के नं. 9425192554, खरगोन SDM श्री मिलिंद ढोके के नं. 9826035969, SDOP श्री रोहित अलावा के नं. 8878626928 और टीआई श्री बनवारी मंडलोई के नं. 9827343799 पर संपर्क कर सकते हैं।#JansamparkMP https://t.co/QLOX9Fdqfq

— Collector Khargone (@CollecterK) April 11, 2022

All examinations in the city, which were to be conducted on Monday (April 11), have been postponed until further notice. DIG ( Nimar Range) Tilak Singh remarked, “The situation has been under control after 2 am today and no complaint has been received. Police patrolling is on. A search operation was carried out and more than 70 people have so far been rounded up.”

Rioters will not be spared – Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Home Minister Narottam Mishra condemned the incident and said that the rioters have been identified and strict action would be taken against all.

Addressing reporters on Monday, the Chief Minister said: “An unfortunate incident has occurred in Khargone but the rioters will not be spared. Stringent action will be taken as there is no place for rioters on MP’s soil and they are meant to be in jail. The rioters have been identified. Those who have pelted stones will be punished but along with it they will be made to pay for the losses to both public and private properties.”

Chouhan further pointed out that a Prevention of Damage to Public and Private Property and Recovery of Damages Bill has been passed by the government and a claims tribunal is being formed. “All rioters will be punished and all damages after assessment will be recovered from them,” he added.

Meanwhile, Home Minister Narottam Mishra said that 77 people have already been arrested. “The situation is under control at Khargone. All rioters are being identified and 77 have been arrested so far,” he added.

#MadhyaPradesh में पत्रकारों की सुरक्षा और उनके सम्मान का सरकार पूरा ध्यान रखती है।

सीधी व टीकमगढ़ में पत्रकारों से अभद्रता करने वालों पर कानूनसम्मत कार्रवाई की गई है। pic.twitter.com/HgsjITkhvs

— Dr Narottam Mishra (@drnarottammisra) April 11, 2022

Mishra further informed that the Superintendent of Police was shot in the leg and six more cops were also injured during the violence. “Besides them, a person identified as Shivam Shukla had sustained serious injuries, but is currently out of danger.”

Mishra, sending out a warning to the rioters, said: “Jis ghar se pathar aae hai. Us ghar ko hi patharo kaa dher banaenge (the house where the stones have come from will be turned into a pile of stones itself).” He also clarified that similar clashes were reported in the adjoining Sendhwa block of neighbouring Barwani district, but the situation there was under control as well.