Clash over statue in MP: 19 held so far, situation peaceful, say police
Ujjain (PTI): Police have so far arrested 19 persons in connection with a clash over a statue in Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain district, and the situation is peaceful in the area amid heavy presence of cops, an official said on Saturday.
Members of two communities had clashed and pelted stones at each other after a statue of former deputy prime minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was pulled down by unidentified persons in Makdone tehsil on Thursday morning.
A total of 19 persons have been arrested so far in connection with the clash, said Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP-Rural) Nitesh Bhargava. They have been booked for rioting and using criminal force to deter a public servant from performing their duty.
He said markets are open in Makdone, and the situation is normal in the town.
ALSO READ: 2 groups clash after Vallabhbhai Patel's statue pulled down in Ujjain
There is peace between both groups, but the police are keeping an eye on the situation, he said, and added that the status quo remains intact at the disputed site.
No injuries were reported in Thursday's clash. However, it prompted authorities to deploy police personnel in large numbers in the Makdone area, located about 50 km from the district headquarters.
In a video of the incident, which went viral on social media, a group of people was seen pulling down the statue with a tractor. They wanted a statue of social reformer and the Constitution's chief architect Dr B R Ambedkar be installed at the site, instead of Patel's, police sources had said.
The statue of Patel was installed at a site close to the Makdone bus stand on Wednesday night, they said. Bhargava said on Friday that they were still trying to find out when the statue was installed.
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Trump says he ‘hasn’t even thought about’ continuing Iran ceasefire
Washington: US President Donald Trump has said he has not yet considered whether he would continue the ceasefire involving Iran, while also claiming the United States holds the advantage in negotiations.
Speaking to reporters, Trump said he was prepared to make a deal with “whoever is running the show” in Iran.
“They are fighting with each other, there’s tremendous infighting. They’re probably fighting for leadership in many cases. I think they’re fighting not to be leader because we knocked out two levels of leaders,” he said.
Trump added, “When they want they can call me. We have all the cards, we’ve won everything.”
Referring to ongoing negotiations, he said, “They gave us a paper that should’ve been better. And, interestingly, immediately when I cancelled it [envoy trip to Pakistan], within 10 minutes we got a new paper that was much better.”
“We talked about they will not have a nuclear weapon, very simple … They offered a lot, but not enough,” he added.
When asked whether he would continue the ceasefire, Trump replied, “I haven’t even thought about it.”
The remarks come as uncertainty remains over the future of the temporary truce and broader negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
