Maharashtra: Stone pelting during protest to protect Hindus in Bangladesh
Communal tensions were reported in several districts of Maharashtra, including Nashik, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jal-gaon and Ahmednagar on Friday during a bandh organised by the Sakal Hindu Samaj to protest alleged atrocities against Hindus in Bangladesh.
Visuals from Nashik show police resorting to lathi-charge amidst stone pelting. According to reports, six police personnel were injured in the unrest.
Meanwhile, Muslim groups were protesting derogatory remarks against Islam and the prophet Mohammed made by Mahant Ramgiri Maharaj, a prominent Hindu religious leader. Police have registered cases against the seer at two places in the state.
The confrontation between the two sides escalated in the Old Nashik area with stone pelting.
According to The Indian Express, a senior Maharashtra police officer noted that there were rallies in various parts of the state and the main issues were in Nashik and Jalgaon. The officer pointed out that the bike rally by Hindu groups coincided with Friday prayers, leading to stone-pelting.
The officer also said the Nashik Police Commissioner’s permission for a bike rally during a protest will be investigated.
On Friday, PM Narendra Modi held a telephone conversation with Muhammad Yunus, the Chief Advisor of the interim government of Bangladesh, where they discussed the situation of minorities in Bangladesh.
