By Online Desk
Amid the arrest of a local Muslim politician, whom the police has accused of instigating the Nagpur communal violence, Muslim residents of the area, according to a report, hint at police complicity in the riots.
The Maktoob Media, citing local Muslim residents, claimed that the police refused to take action and sided with the Hindutva groups such as Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal whose members burned a Dargah chadar inscribed with Quranic verses during a protest demanding the demolition of Mughal ruler Aurangzeb’s tomb on Monday.
In response to the police’s inaction despite a complaint being lodged by local Muslim residents, a group of Muslim men staged a protest in front of the Shivaji statue in Nagpur’s Mahal area.
“By 7 PM, VHP and Bajrang Dal members marched through Muslim-majority areas of the city, chanting slogans. This provocation led to clashes between the two communities. The police were initially absent and arrived only after tensions had escalated, ” the report said citing the local people.
According to an eyewitness cited by the report, police actively participated in the riots alongside members of the Hindu right-wing groups.
The local Muslims also accused the police of arbitrarily detaining innocent civilians.
“At around 2 AM, the police randomly entered the homes of Muslims in areas like Mominpura, Bhaldarpura, and Mahal, taking them away. Many of those detained had no involvement in the protest,” 52-year-old Shafiq Ahmed was quoted as saying by the report.
This story was originally published in newindianexpress.com. Read the full story here.
