Nalanda – 14 injured after attack on Ram Navami procession, stone pelting, arson reported; 20 arrested

Ranchi, 01 April : Patna. Communal clashes have erupted in Nalanda after stones were pelted on a Ram Navami procession near Gagan Diwan Mohalla under Laheri police station.

A ram navami procession was passing through the Gagan Diwan Mohalla when suddenly stone pelting got started near a mosque following which the gathering started to disperse out of panic.

As per some eyewitnesses after heavy stone pelting on the procession, gun shots are also being fired in which around five people from the Hindu community got gravely injured, while at least 8 people have got injured in stone pelting, it’s been reported that one of the injured youth has been subsequently referred to the State capital.

After the altercation a violent mob of the hooligans on the other hand have also set ablaze a dozen vehicles including a passenger bus, half a dozen shops have also been torched. Many videos pertaining to the incident are doing the rounds on social media in which hundreds of hooligans can be seen pelting stones on shops and in residential areas.

Meanwhile, heavy deployment of security forces along with prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC has been imposed in the violence-affected areas where District Collector and District SP are continuously camping to prevent any untoward incident.

Parashuram Kumar, a functionary of VHP who was also a part of the procession quoted that a similar incident was also taken place last year when stones were pelted in the same area after a minor scuffle, though last year the police had handled it quite effectively. He asserted that the police should take immediate steps to establish law and order in the city.

National spokesperson of VHP, Vinod Bansal while expressing his anguish against the ineffectiveness of the police quoted that “the policemen who were providing security to the procession were not well equipped to handle that kind of mayhem, even they were worried about their safety, this is a utter failure as part of the police and administration, the Bihar Government need to seriously introspect about it.”

“Some people in this country are arguing that the majority community should not take out procession through some so-called sensitive areas. What if the Hindus put up similar demands pertaining to the processions of the other communities”, added the VHP leader.

Earlier a similar altercation has been also reported from Rohtas, the district headquarters of Sasaram, where stones were pelted by the two communities on each other, the clashes between the communities erupted after a pooja pandal was set ablaze by the other group following which heavy stone pelting got started between the groups in which two policemen have been reportedly got injured.

Learning about the incident the District magistrate and the Superintendent of Police rushed to the spot along with heavy policemen and tried to control the situation, later on section 144 has also been imposed to prevent the spread of violence.

Earlier a similar altercation was also reported from the Sahajlaal Peer Mohalla of the district where Sushant Kumar Mandal, bodyguard of SDO Manoj Kumar was injured in the stone pelting, he has been admitted to the hospital for treatment.