NEW DELHI — Pawan Khera, head of the Media and Publicity wing of the All India Congress Committee, condemned the unrest in Nagpur, stating that the outbreak of violence in the Maharashtra city is profoundly alarming.
Taking to X, Khera wrote, “Reports of riots in Nagpur are deeply disturbing. Mahal is Chief Minister’s own area. In its 300 years of dynamic existence, Nagpur has never experienced riots. Over the last several days, attempts were being made to weaponise 300 year old history and use it now to create divisions, distractions and unrest. These clashes expose the real face of the ideology of the ruling regime – both at the Centre and in the state.”
Riots erupted in the heart of Nagpur on violent clashes broke out in Nagpur after protests by Hindu groups demanding Aurangzeb’s tomb’s removal.
It was a chaotic Monday as a hail of stones rained down on police officers, sparked by swirling rumours.
The stone pelting left four individuals wounded, according to various reports and videos surfaced on social media.
Police personnel resorted to tear-gas shelling and baton-charges to break up the unruly crowd wreaking havoc in Chitnis Park and Mahal area, though the turbulence soon spilled over into Kotwali and Ganeshpeth, authorities reported.
The reports further suggested that as stones flew through the air, vehicles bore the brunt of the fury, and the police struggled to quell mobs numbering in the thousands, according to reports.
The unrest allegedly ignited after whispers spread that a sacred religious text had been desecrated during the protest.
In Nagpur’s rural regions, law enforcement has been summoned to lend a hand, while the cyber division strives to halt the wildfire of misinformation.
The outbreak of chaos left 25 to 30 motorcycles and a handful of cars—2 or 3—scorched in its wake.
The Maharashtra Chief Minister’s Office declared that authorities are grappling with the unrest sparked by stone-hurling and escalating friction in the Mahal district.
“Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has called on the public to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the government,” a statement said.
“We’re maintaining close communication with the police, and we ask residents to join forces with them. Nagpur has long been a beacon of harmony and unity—this is its legacy. The chief minister implores everyone to dismiss false tales and rally behind the officials,” the statement further said. –IANS
