Anti-encroachment drive in Surat locality that witnessed stone pelting at Ganesh pandal
Surat, Sep 9: The civic authorities in Gujarat's Surat city carried out an anti-encroachment drive involving a bulldozer in Saiyedpura on Monday, hours after the locality witnessed rioting after some minors threw stones at a Ganesh pandal.
Authorities, however, were quick to clarify that the anti-encroachment drive was not linked to the violence on Sunday but was planned weeks in advance.
A bulldozer was pressed into action by the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) to raze illegal concrete and temporary constructions and remove handcarts of street vendors in the area.
Communal tensions gripped Saiyedpura on Sunday night after a mob of around 200-300 persons gheraoed a police station and pelted stones to protest against the detention of six minors accused of throwing stones at a Ganesh pandal.
There was heavy police deployment in the locality, from where 28 persons were arrested, and six minors were detained on charges of rioting and attempted murder after some persons, including policemen, were injured in stone pelting.
Surat deputy mayor Narendra Patil maintained that the anti-encroachment drive had been planned some two weeks ago, and it had nothing to do with the clash on Sunday night.
He said encroachment was a long-standing problem in Saiyedpura, which has a Muslim-majority population, and local corporators had complained about the same.
"The decision to remove encroachments was made in a meeting 15 days ago. Saiyedpura is worst affected by illegal encroachment, and all four local corporators requested action. They had pointed out that people had no space to walk in the locality due to encroachment," Patil told PTI.
He said coordinated action was being taken zone-wise, and action would be taken in all areas facing the encroachment problem.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Anil Patel justified the civic body's action in the area and said the government should ensure strict action against elements that cause rioting without provocation.
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'Misinformed, unacceptable': India deplores Iranian supreme leader's comments on minorities
New Delhi (PTI): India on Monday strongly deplored comments made by Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on the condition of minorities in India, calling the remarks "misinformed and unacceptable".
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said countries commenting on minorities in India should look at their "own record" before making any observations about others.
"We strongly deplore the comments made regarding minorities in India by the Supreme Leader of Iran. These are misinformed and unacceptable," he said.
"Countries commenting on minorities are advised to look at their own record before making any observations about others," Jaiswal said.
The Iranian leader, addressing a gathering of clerics in Tehran on Monday, talked about what he described as "suffering" of Muslims in Gaza, Myanmar and India.
"The enemies of Islam have always tried to make us indifferent with regard to our shared identity as an Islamic Ummah. We cannot consider ourselves to be Muslims if we are oblivious to the suffering that a Muslim is enduring in #Myanmar, #Gaza, #India, or any other place," he posted on 'X' as part of series of posts on the event.
