Gajapur residents fled their homes towards the jungle nearby to protect their lives.
Waquar Hasan | Clarion India
KOLHAPUR – Around 50-60 houses and shops belonging to members of Muslim community were attacked, looted and torched when a mob from a rally against alleged encroachment at Vishalgad Fort ran amok at Gajapur village in Maharashtra’s Kolhapur district on Sunday, local residents said.
Speaking to Clarion India, Imran Mujawar, a resident of Gajapur whose house was also attacked, said that the residents fled their homes towards the nearby jungle to protect their lives when the mob reached the area.
“People armed with weapons barged into houses. The residents fled their homes toward the jungle nearby to protect themselves. Homes were looted and their jewelleries were also stolen. Around 50-60 houses were destroyed,” said Mujawar, who is also a khadim at the Vishalgad dargah.
Mujawar runs a shop. He has lost properties worth 9-10 lakh while some people incurred the loss of 15-20 lakhs. Their vehicles were also destroyed.
Even edible items were destroyed and thrown out. The situation is such that people don’t have ration to cook anything. They were armed with weapons such as swords and knifes, he added.
“We can’t now estimate the losses. There might be a loss of crores. Dozens of vehicles were destroyed. Some houses were set on fire by exploding gas cylinder. It was the house in which a woman was living along with her children while his husband was working somewhere. The woman fled her home along with children,” said Mujawar.
According to him, there were four to five thousand people in the mob and the attacks occurred even in the presence of the police force. Several people got injured in the attacks. Some of them had fractures and were admitted to a local hospital.
“In Gajapur, all the residents are Muslims. Their homes and properties were targeted. There are homes of Hindus ahead of Gajapur. They were not touched. Only Muslims were targeted,” asserted Mujawar.
Shops were looted and their goods were destroyed and thrown outside. The victims are now being helped by their neighbours and local people. There is a deployment of police force in the village. Prohibitory orders under Section 144 have been imposed in the area. The police are registering FIRs over the incidents.
Mujawar feels that Muslims are being targeted because the assembly elections are approaching. “They want to win elections by creating riots,” he said.
The mobs were parts of a rally called by former Rajya Sabha MP Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati in protest against alleged encroachment at the Vishalgad Fort. Chhatrapati’s supporters also attacked a mosque in Gajapur village, a few kilometers away from Vishalgad. The video of the incident went viral showing people climbing atop the mosque and hoisting a saffron flag on it.
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi slammed Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis describing the incident as a repeat of Babri Masjid demolition.
“6 December continues ” @mieknathshinde @Dev_Fadnavis under your government a Masjid is attacked by a Mob, this is an attack on Rule of Law but your government is not concerned,” said Owaisi on Monday.
“Muslims of Maharashtra must reply through ballot by ensuring your party MIM candidates win the forthcoming elections to stop the Mobs and the political leaders & parties who give them patronage and support and remember the silence of parties who are claiming they won “moral victory”, he added.
Kolhapur Lok Sabha MP and Sambhajiraje’s father Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj on Monday condemned the violence and blamed the administration for failing to handle it.
“We condemn the violence committed on the occasion of removing the encroachment on Vishalgad Fort after Chhatrapati Sambhajiraje’s call. It is extremely painful and distressing to witness such an incident in Kolhapur district, which holds the legacy of Rajarshi Shahu Maharaj deeply,” Shahu Maharaj said.
The Kolhapur police on Monday lodged a case against over 500 persons including former Rajya Sabha member Chhatrapati Sambhajiraje Bhosale.
