By Saher Hiba Khan

In Kukshi Tehsil of Dhar, Madhya Pradesh, a Ganesh Chaturthi procession got out of control, leading to property damage in the Imam Badha and Jamadar Mohalla areas. Shops and Mandi were set ablaze and looted during the incident.

There were at least 2,000 people in the procession, which consisted of three groups – Shirvi Samaj, Patidar Samaj, and Bhausar Mohalla. These groups were coming from different routes and were supposed to meet at Patel Chowk. However, due to a lack of proper planning, there was a roadblock near Datahari Mandir, causing confusion and a traffic jam. This led to a brawl between the three groups at the same spot.

Tensions escalated during the Ganesh Chaturthi procession, which began at 7:30 p.m. and continued until midnight, as provocative songs and slogans targeting Muslims were played.

The people in the procession played controversial songs such as “Topi wala bolega, Jai Shree Ram” near a mosque. This led to confrontations and stone pelting, resulting in 8 injuries, including a policeman, and vandalism and arson targeting Muslim-owned shops.

This story was originally published in theobserverpost.com. Read the full story here