EVEN as millions of Indians across India celebrated the festival of Ram Navami with pomp, in some cities the festivities were ruined by violent clashes. Several incidents of stone pelting on Ram Navami processions and altercations over miscreants playing loud music outside mosques were reported.

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Here are all the major such incidents that took place:

Howrah, West Bengal - Violent clashes ensued in Howrah district of West Bengal, which is an industrial belt with huge migrant population, when stones were pelted at a Ram Navami procession which was passing through the PM Basti area. In the violence, that led to vandalism of some shops, houses, and torching of vehicles, at least 12 persons were injured - including 10 police officers - according NDTV. The state police has detained 30 people so far.

CM Mamata Banerjee has pinned the blame on BJP for the violence, claiming they were inciting communal hatred. She also questioned who gave the right to carry "swords and bulldozers" in processions and why was the route changed at the last minute to cross through an unauthorised route, according to a report by Indian Express.

Vadodara, Gujarat - As many as 24 people have been detained after violent clashes erupted in the city following an incident of stone pelting on a Ram Navami procession. The cops identified the stone pelters from CCTV footage, News 18 reported.

Stones were allegedly pelted on two processions passing through communally sensitive areas of the city - Fatehpura and Kumbharwada. The cops informed that at least two people were injured but now the situation is under control.

Mumbai, Maharshtra - Clashes erupted between two groups in Mumbai's Malvani area, after which 20 people were apprehended by the police. The two groups engaged in a brawl after some raised objections against loud music that was accompanying the procession.

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra: Violence in this city, formerly known as Aurangabad, injured 12 people - including 10 police personnel. The two groups fought, on the night before Ram Navami, near a Ram Temple after an altercation between two groups of young men escalated. Aurangabad's MP Imitiaz Jaleel and BJP MLA Atul Save were seen calming tempers in videos, according to PTI. A huge mob of around 500 people also attacked police.

Jalgaon, Maharashtra - Again two groups clashed in Paldhi town of Jalgaon district after some objected to loud music in the Ram Navami procession as it passed a mosque where people were offering Namaz, ANI reported. Four persons were injured in the clash and 45 persons have been arrested.

Hassan Karnataka - Members belonging to two different groups have filed cases against each other after violence was reported here on Thursday night. The incident took place in Channarayapatna area’s Bagur road. The clashes erupted after two people - identified as Murli and Harsha - were stabbed.

Apart from this, several accidents occurred in different parts of India.

Madhya Pradesh - 35 devotees died after a stepwell of a Temple in Indore collapsed and dozens of people fell into the pit. The devotees were doing a ‘havan’ on the occasion of Ram Navami. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan has announced compensation of Rs 5 Lakh to victims’ kin and Rs 50,000 for the injured.

Rajasthan - Three men died due to electrocution as they performed stunts during Ram Navami celebrations in Kotradeet village in Kota district. They had formed a human pyramid to pull down a steel ring when they accidentally hit a tension cable above their heads and were electrocuted to death, cops informed.

Meanwhile in Jahangirpuri, although Delhi Police had denied permission for both Ram Navami procession and Namaz prayers, a procession was taken out nevertheless. Jahangirpuri is the area where two communities had clashes in April, 2022, on Hanuman Jayanti.

 

(With agency inputs)