The protesters had blocked the arterial Ahilyanagar-Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar road despite one person being arrested in connection with the graffiti, officials said
The protesters had blocked the arterial Ahilyanagar-Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar road. Representational Pic/File/iStock
A protest against a graffiti painted on the road in Maharashtra's Ahilyanagar turned violent on Monday following which the police baton-charged a mob, officials said, reported the PTI.
The protesters had blocked the arterial Ahilyanagar-Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar road despite one person being arrested in connection with the graffiti, they added.
"The protest began on Monday morning at Kotla in Kotwali area after someone had painted a graffiti on the road, which was objected to by members of a community. A complaint was lodged at Kotwali police station against this graffiti," an official said, according to the PTI.
"Despite one person being arrested in connection with the graffiti, some people protested. Even as police urged them to maintain law and order, some persons from the mob started pelting stones. Police resorted to lathi-charge to restore normalcy," the official said, as per the PTI.
At least 30 persons have been detained in connection with the protests, road blockade and stone pelting, Ahilyanagar Superintendent of Police Somnath Gharge said.
"We used force to maintain law and order. Police is taking action against the accused persons. The situation is under control. Citizens must not believe in or spread rumours," Gharge said.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is currently touring Yavatmal, said authorities will find out if there is a conspiracy to disturb social peace in the state and polarise society by putting up different kinds of boards, the news agency reported on Monday.
"Everyone is free to practice their own religion but not to indulge in polarisation," the CM asserted.
CM Fadnavis suggested that a larger conspiracy may be behind the violence.
Speaking to reporters, CM Fadnavis condemned the incident and expressed concern over efforts to create social unrest.
According to the news agency ANI, he said, "The way certain boards are being put up, we need to examine whether there's a conspiracy at play. We must also identify who is attempting to disturb the social environment."
"Is this an effort to polarise society, similar to what was attempted during the Lok Sabha elections? Everyone has the right to follow their religion, but provoking tensions among people in this manner is unacceptable," he added.
(with PTI and ANI inputs)
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