Local Muslims allege arbitrary detention, police participation in Nagpur violence
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Amid the arrest of a local Muslim politician suspected by the police of inciting the Nagpur communal violence, Muslim people in the region, according to a report, allege police complicity in the unrest.
According to Maktoob Media, local Muslim residents claim that the police refused to intervene and instead sided with Hindutva groups such as Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal, whose members burned a Dargah chadar inscribed with Quranic verses at a protest seeking for the demolition of Mughal ruler Aurangzeb's tomb on Monday.
In reaction to the police's inaction despite a complaint filed by local Muslim residents, a group of Muslim men protested in front of the Shivaji statue in Nagpur's Mahal district.
"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, TNIE reported.
According to an eyewitness quoted in the report, police actively participated in the riots alongside members of Hindu right-wing organisations. The local Muslim community also accused the police of arbitrarily detaining innocent individuals.
“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.
On March 18, an FIR was filed at Ganesh Peth Police Station, naming 52 males, all of whom are Muslim. So far, six FIRs have been filed against many people, including the local leader of the Minorities Democratic Party (MDP), Fahim Shamim Khan.
Calls to demolish the tomb of seventeenth-century emperor Aurangzeb have erupted in the state following the release of the controversial Bollywood film Chhaava, with the BJP-led state administration supporting the demand.
"Who is Aurangzeb? Is he a saint? Has he done any good work? One should read the history of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and watch Chhava movies. They tortured Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj for 40 days. Aurangzeb was a traitor. Aurangzeb's grave is a blot on Maharashtra. The protestors are protesting for the pride of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj," Deputy CM Eknath Shinde said following the violence.