There seems no stopping for Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s bulldozers in Madhya Pradesh as the government authorities demolished properties of those accused of violence and rioting in Ramnavmi in Barwani and Khargone districts, on Monday.
After the massive violence reported in Khargone on the occasion of Ramnavmi on Sunday, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had taken a stern stand on the violence during the Ramnavmi procession in which stone-pelting took place, houses were set on fire and shots were fired. Khargone Superintendent of Police Siddharth Chaudhary too was injured after being hit by a bullet in the leg.
The procession was also attended by BJP leader from New Delhi Kapil Mishra.
On Monday, the administration demolished illegal houses and shops of a particular community member who is accused of stone-pelting and hurling petrol bombs at the procession. Divisional Commissioner Pavan Sharma said that a demolition drive was undertaken at 50 places and 84 persons have been arrested by the police in connection to the violence.
Besides, three government staffers who were among those who were fuelling speculations have been sacked by the administration. Another government employee found engaged in such misdeeds has been suspended by the state government.
The action was undertaken by the administration in heavy police presence in Chhoti Mohan Talkies, a communally sensitive area of the town. Collector Anugraha P had clamped down curfew in the town after the violence.
There were reports that the administration suspects that it was a planned violence by a particular community on the Hindu festival and sleeper cells of terror groups could be behind the plot. To add, those pelting stones were putting on masks and had ready petrol bombs which were hurled at the procession when the trouble broke out.
The trouble had started when a local community objected to the DJ being played in the Ramnavmi procession and some locals pelted stones. Soon after stone-pelting broke out from Mohan Talkies to the Gaushala area. The intelligence failure was also blamed for the mess as the administration did not scan the areas where the procession was to pass through.
Reacting to the violence, Chouhan had called the incident unfortunate, affirming the rioters will be brought to book and will be made to pay for the losses to public properties. Toeing the line, Home Minister Dr Narottam Mishra had said that the houses of those who had pelted stones will be turned into a heap of stones.
A similar action was undertaken in Sendhva in Barwani on Monday in connection to the Ramnavmi violence that took place there.
On a parallel front, the state unit of the Congress party formed a five-member committee to probe the Khargone violence and the committee will be submitting the report to MPCC chief Kamal Nath. Among others, party minority cell chairman Sheikh Aleem is a member of the committee.
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