Gurugram: Conflicts that erupted during a religious parade in Nuh, Haryana, on Monday resulted in the deaths of four persons, including two home guards named Neeraj and Gursevak, an 'Imam' named Maulana Mohammad Saad and one civilian.
According to the Haryana government, mobile internet connections have been blocked until Wednesday (August 2) in order to ease the "intense communal tension".
The Brij Mandal Yatra was flagged off earlier from Gurugram's Civil Lines by BJP district president Gargi Kakkar. A police contingent was deployed with the procession.
Stones were pelted on Yatra in Nuh and at least four cars, part of the procession, were set on fire. Some police vehicles were also damaged.
Mobs in neighbouring Gurugram district's Sohna set afire vehicles and a shop that appeared to belong to members of the minority group after the word of the violence in Muslim-dominated Nuh spread.
A controversial video that a Bajrang Dal activist in Ballabhgarh allegedly shared on social media further added to the tensions, according to some reports
Additionally, there were rumours that Monu Manesar, a cow vigilante previously detained for the February murder of two Muslim men, whose burned bodies were discovered in the Bhiwani region, was planning to march in the procession.
Police also rescued over 2,500 people including women and children from a Shiva temple. These reportedly included devotees and individuals who had sought to stay there as tensions between the two factions began.
An MLA from Nuh, Chaudhary Aftab Ahmed claimed the event was a premeditated act of violence.
"Provocation was deliberately done by uploading videos on social media," the MLA said.
Thirteen companies of paramilitary forces reached the district, while six more companies were yet to arrive.
To prevent any unforeseen developments, Section 144 was implemented in Faridabad, Palwal, and Gurugram.
Following the incident in Nuh, a warning was issued for Rajasthan's Bharatpur district.
As a precaution, educational facilities were closed on Tuesday in the districts of Gurugram, Faridabad, and Palwal.
With inputs from IANS