Mumbai/Thane: Mira Road in Thane district of Maharashtra saw fresh incidents of violence and vandalism on Thursday, January 25, in the aftermath of Ram temple inauguration ceremony in Ayodhya on January 22.
As many as 19 people have been arrested for Mira Road communal clashes so far. Four of them are minors and all arrested individuals are Muslims. Earlier, 13 people were taken in custody, said a senior police official from Mira-Bhayandar, Vasai-Virar police commissionerate.
How did it begin?
A day before the Ram Mandir inauguration, a rally of Hindutva workers tried to enter a Muslim-dominated residential society on Mira Road, leading to an altercation between the two religious groups. Provocative and genocidal slogans were chanted in the procession, forcing the other community to react.
Later, BJP leader Nitesh Rane posted a message on Monday morning, saying, “Mira Road madde je kaal ratri jhala… ek yaad rakhna… Chun chun ke marenge !!! Jai Shri Ram (This happened in Mira Road yesterday… remember one thing… will kill you one by on).” In another post on Monday night, he said, “We will meet tomorrow in Mira Road.”
Live streaming by Hindutva workers
Many videos emerged on social media platforms such as Facebook and X (formerly known as Twitter) where Hindutva men live-streamed the brutality.
A Muslim auto driver was thrashed by right-wing workers at Mira Road. The incident happened on January 23 in the middle of a busy road where the driver was stopped and his vehicle was vandalised.
Fifty-four-year-old Abdul Haque, a tempo driver, received a call from his son about being ravaged by a Hindutva mob. Fortunately, Haque’s son was lucky to escape alive. However, Haque is in no mood to take the case legally as ‘it is a waste of time.’
Two men on a motorcycle were intercepted and assaulted by a group of nearly 15 armed individuals using iron rods, wooden sticks, and sharp objects.
All these incidents were live-streamed on various social media platforms with Lord Raman’s devotion songs being played in the background.
Muslim establishments bulldozed
On January 23, as per the orders given by Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fednavis, the municipal corporation bulldozed 15 structures in Haidary Chowk. These buildings belonged to a majority of Muslims.
However, municipal officers insist it is a ‘routine campaign’ and was planned before the Sunday clashes.
Although shop owners produced documents to prove the legality of the building and alleged that no prior notices were served to them before the demolition, chants of Jai Shri Ram vibrated the atmosphere as Muslims helplessly saw their livelihood torn down in minutes, Maktoob Media reported.
No Hindu arrested yet
Additional commissioner of police (ACP) Shrikant Pathak confirmed that though a police complaint has been lodged by the Muslim community alleging assault and arson, no arrests have been made so far, the Indian Express reported.
Things did not seem to calm down as on Wednesday, unidentified persons targeted shops mostly owned by Muslims, further escalating the brewing tension.
Police across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region issued advisories, warning people against circulating inflammatory messages, videos and rumours.
As many as 19 people have been arrested so far in relation to the Mira Road communal clash. Earlier, 13 people were taken in custody, said a senior police official from Mira-Bhayandar, Vasai-Virar police commissionerate. “The situation in the area is now normal even as heavy police security remains deployed there. Shops, schools and other establishments in the locality have opened,” he said.
FIR was registered under Sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 307 (attempt to murder), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion), 295A (malicious acts to outrage religious feelings), 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint), 141 (unlawful assembly), 143 (punishment for unlawful assembly), 149 (commission of an offence by any member of the unlawful assembly), and 427 (damage to the amount of fifty rupees).
A total of eight offences under the Indian Penal Code and two under the Information Technology Act have been registered, the senior police officer said.
(With inputs from agencies)
