A clash broke out between two communities after stones were allegedly pelted at a procession taken out on the occasion of Ayodhya Ram Mandir inauguration in Mira Road area of Maharashtra's Thane district on Sunday.
An unspecified number of people and policemen providing security to the procession were injured in the stone attack in the Mira Road area, police said, hours after a clash broke out between members of two communities during the vehicle rally in Thane district at around 10:30 pm on Sunday, the eve of Ram Mandir inauguration.
Mira Road Stone-Pelting | What We Know So Far
An official at the Mira Bhayandar-Vasai Virar (MBVV) police said the stone pelting was reported from Naya Nagar police station limits, where the group clash took place during a rally comprising cars and other vehicles and taken out on the eve of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir inauguration and consecration ceremony.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also holds the home portfolio, said 13 persons were held in connection with the group clash. Relatives of the 13 persons protested in front of Naya Nagar police station, following which Congress leader Muzaffar Hussain was seen soothing frayed tempers.
Hussain told the kin of the arrested persons that police were doing their job and action would be taken only against those found to have taken part in the clash.
What triggered the stone-pelting incident was not yet known, officials said on Monday.
Police were maintaining a strict vigil after the Sunday clash in Naya Nagar area, located on Mumbai's outskirts, officials said, asking locals to maintain peace. MBVV additional police commissioner Sreekanth Phatak asked people not believe in rumours and warned against putting up social media posts that are provocative or could disrupt peace by creating feuds among communities.
CCTV footage was being checked to nab the culprits, Phatak said.
In another incident, stones were pelted on Monday evening on a procession taken out in Vadodara in Gujarat to celebrate the idol consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, police said. One person was injured in the incident that took place during a 'shobha yatra' in Bhoj in Padra taluka and a combing operation has been launched to nab three to four persons who pelted stones, Vadodara Superintendent of Police Rohan Anand said.
"Some people threw stones at the procession when it reached a street in the village. Police personnel accompanying the procession brought the situation under control and it proceeded on its designated route," news agency quoted the SP as saying.
(With PTI inputs)
