Tension prevails in MP town after communal clash; 49 arrested
Jabalpur (PTI): Tension gripped Sihora town in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur district after a clash between Hindu and Muslim groups led to stone-pelting and vandalism, prompting police to lob teargas shells, officials said on Friday. They said 49 people had been arrested so far and efforts are on to nab others involved in the unrest.
The violence erupted around 10 PM on Thursday near Azad Chowk, an area where a Durga temple and a mosque are located in close proximity.
While officials stated the situation is now under control and no injuries were reported, a heavy police presence remains on the ground, and most local shops remained closed on Friday.
Hindu organisations alleged that some miscreants broke the iron gate of the temple while an 'aarti' was being performed and also hurled stones while local Muslim residents said the clash erupted when the special Ramzan prayer and temple aarti were taking place simultaneously.
Superintendent of Police Sampat Upadhyay said that after initial attempts to use "mild force" failed to disperse the crowd, police had to resort to firing eight to ten teargas shells to disperse the unruly mob.
"We are currently not allowing people to roam in the affected area unnecessarily and are using drones to monitor the situation," Upadhyay said.
Additional SP Suryakant Sharma confirmed that 49 people have been arrested so far, with more suspects expected to be identified within 24 hours.
District Collector Raghavendra Singh denied reports that stones were hurled at the temple, as claimed by some Hindu activists and told PTI that "stone-pelting occurred between two groups, leading to the violence, and the situation is currently under control. Curfew will not be imposed."
However, Youth Welfare Minister Vishwas Sarang, speaking from Bhopal, pointed to viral social media footage and said "how stones were collected at the mosque is a matter of investigation. No one has the right to take the law into their own hands."
Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla said directives have been issued to ensure maintenance of law and order.
Several videos of the clash went viral on social media.
On Friday afternoon, Hindu activists staged a protest outside the Sihora police station, reciting the Hanuman Chalisa and submitting a memorandum demanding the demolition of the houses belonging to those involved in the violence.
Strict action will be taken against those who disrupt law and order, and efforts are being made to maintain harmony by communicating with senior members of both the communities, said SP Upadhyay.
Speaking about how the violence started, local Muslim resident Shabreen told PTI Videos, "Taraweeh prayer was being held at the mosque, and aarti was being performed at the same time. It led to the fight."
Members of the Muslim community had requested that aarti be avoided during Taraweeh prayers, but the situation escalated, she added.
Taraweeh is a special prayer recited during the month of Ramzan.
In a memorandum submitted to the police, Hindu activists accused members of the other group of indulging in vandalism at the temple.
Bajrang Dal district coordinator Kanha Pandey told PTI Videos that this type of stone-pelting incident occurred for the first time in Sihora's history, and its "real masterminds" were different.
Local councillor Arshad Khan termed the clash deplorable.
Some of those arrested were innocent, he said. "Innocent persons should be let off, and those involved in violence must be punished," he added.
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Budget, trade deals will provide boost to industry: BJP president
Ahmedabad (PTI): BJP president Nitin Nabin on Friday said the trade deals struck with various countries coupled with the Budget for 2026-27 will provide a boost to the Indian industry.
He was addressing a gathering of industrialists, Chartered Accountants and entrepreneurs from Gujarat here.
At a time when the world is going through a period of economic instability, India is the fastest growing economy, achieving a growth rate of 7 percent while controlling inflation through discipline and financial management, he said.
India has struck trade deals with many countries in the last one year, including the "mother of all deals" with the European Union and another with the United States, he said.
These deals were negotiated with patience and they safeguard India's interests and support its future roadmap, Nabin added.
The trade deals along with the recently passed Budget which supports them are part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "roadmap" for development, and it will help the Indian industry, he said.
The AI summit in Delhi, which saw participation of many heads of states and industrialists, reflected PM Modi's vision to make India a leader in Artificial Intelligence, the BJP president said.
"PM Modi always says we are moving forward with the ease of doing business, but I feel that now the era of `ease of growing business' has also arrived. Modi has created a great platform to provide better services to businesses," the BJP chief said.
India is emerging as the number one country in mobile manufacturing and many other spheres, and the foreign markets which have opened up due to the trade deals will benefit the domestic industry, he said.
Banks in the country are now profitable with NPAs declining from 10-11 per cent to below 1 percent, Nabin said.
The demographic dividend too will provide a boost to the country, he added.
The BJP president also hailed the announcement of a new dedicated freight corridor which will connect Gujarat's industrial and export centers with other parts of the country.
Tax holidays for GIFT City will help investors significantly, he said.
The BJP government in Gujarat has prepared a roadmap to make Gujarat a developed state by 2035 with a focus on "infrastructure, innovation, individuals, and institutions," Nabin said.
The Commonwealth Games, which the state will host in 2030, will not only bring business but also give Gujarat a new identity, he said.
