Violence in Maharastra: reports suggest 100-plus arrests so far

Akola/Maharashtra: After deadly violence that claimed a life here in Maharashtra, police reportedly arrested more than 100 individuals. The violence allegedly started after an Instagram post deriding the Prophet, The Wire reported.

When multiple news portals reported that clashes sparked by a social media post about the controversial film, 'The Kerala Story', The Wire reported that such a claim had not been verified so far, though there was a screening of the film, there is no evidence so far that it has triggered the violence.

Authorities had shut down the internet and imposed Section 144, declaring curfew, in the area. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's office appealed to locals to bring peace while instructing state police to take strict action against those who got involved in the violent incidents.

According to reports, a sizable crowd marched to the Old City police station when a violent clash developed following a small argument. A video apparently showed members of the two groups throwing stones at one another, destroying cars, and causing a commotion in the streets.

This is the second occurrence of this kind to be reported in Akola. In the Shankar Nagar neighbourhood of the Akot File region, there was a violent conflict a few days ago between two parties.

Straight after the release trailer of the controversial Vipul Amrutlal Shah directorial, the public was thrown into the storm of a debate and verbal war, particularly on social media. The movie, which has made claims that have no evidence so far, first said about a count of 32,000 women being trafficked through brainwashing, Love Jihad etc., from the south Indian state of Kerala but even changed that number itself to just 3.

The movie received as much attention as "The Kashmir Files", for which its maker Vivek Agnihotri ran a promotion campaign to sell the film. Vipul Shah also played a similar gimmick, creating a debate in the public sphere where communal prejudices only drove those supporting the films.

While reports suggest that many screens, particularly in the south, are experiencing a thin attendance for the movie, many of them are reluctant to play it.

However, the movie makers have approached the court, lamenting that there is a ban on the movie in the southern states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. A court has, however, dismissed pleas to stop the release of the movie, while another court sought a response from Tamil Nadu on the makers' plea about the ban. Tamil Nadu has responded that there is no ban on the movie in the state.

Many, including the ruling party of Kerala, CPI(M), condemned the movie and commented that it is trying to propagate the Sangh Parivar agenda of polarising the community, aiming for political gains in a state where BJP has been failing pathetically in making inroads.

The opposition Congress also condemned the movie, which according to them, is maligning the state of Kerala.