Maharashtra communal violence: Situation in Akola and Shevgaon under control
more than 130 detained, internet shut
Akola/Ahmednagar, May 15: Communal violence in Akola city and Shevgaon village in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra in the last two days has posed a challenge to police to prevent potential flare-ups in other areas, while 132 people have been detained so far after the clashes left one person dead and 13 others injured, including two policemen.
While state minister Girish Mahajan, who belongs to BJP, claimed that the violence in Akola was possibly "pre-planned", Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said there are some organisations and people who want the state to be unstable, but the government will teach them a lesson.
One person was killed and eight others, including two policemen, were injured, in a clash that broke out on Saturday night in the sensitive Old City area of Akola over a religious post on social media, prompting the police to clamp curfew in some pockets, police had said.
Members of the two groups hurled stones at each other and indulged in large-scale vandalism. The rioters set on fire some two-wheelers and four-wheelers during the violence.
In Shevgaon village in Ahmednagar district in west Maharashtra, at least five persons were injured in a clash over a procession on Sunday night. Several shops and vehicles were damaged in stone pelting, police said on Monday.
Police have detained 132 people- more than 100 in Akola and 32 in Shevgaon- so far. Cases were registered against 150 people in Shevgaon, located 65 km from the Ahmednagar district headquarters, an official said.
After the violence in Akola, District Magistrate Nima Arora ordered a curfew, which requires people to stay at home, in four police station areas of the city to maintain law and order, a senior officer said.
On Monday, the official said, the curfew was relaxed in areas under the jurisdiction of City Kotwali and Ramdas Peth police station limits.
However, it will remain in force within the limits of Dabki Road and Old City police stations at night (between 8 pm and 8 am), while some relaxations will be provided during day time, he said.
Internet services remain suspended in Akola and Shevgaon to check the spread of rumours, officials said.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday instructed the police to take strict action against those behind the riots in Akola and Shevgaon and appealed to people to maintain peace and social harmony, said his office.
"The situation in Akola and Shevgaon is now under control and the police force is deployed. On the instructions of state home minister Devendra Fadnavis, state rural development minister Girish Mahajan has personally visited Akola while revenue minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil reviewed the situation in Shegaon," the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said in a statement.
Fadnavis said, "It is 100 per cent true there are some people and organisations that want the state to remain unstable. But the government will expose them and also teach them a lesson".
Earlier in the day, State Rural Development Minister Girish Mahajan claimed the clash was possibly "pre-planned". Mahajan visited the affected areas in Akola on Sunday.
"Some houses and vehicles were damaged. Strict action would be taken against the culprits," he told reporters after meeting the family of the man, Vilas Gaikwad (40), killed in the violence.
Mahajan said the government has announced assistance of Rs 4 lakh for the family of the deceased.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former Aurangabad MP Chandrakant Khaire claimed that riots were being instigated in Maharashtra to stop Muslim votes from shifting towards the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).
Ever since the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis coalition has come to power, communal tensions are taking place, Khaire alleged.
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Putin meets Iran's FM Araghchi, says Russia ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia
Moscow (PTI): Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday met Russian President Vladimir Putin, who hailed the Iranian people for fighting bravely and heroically for their sovereignty and said Moscow is ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia as soon as possible.
Araghchi, who held talks with Omani and Pakistani leadership before arriving in Russia, met Putin in St. Petersburg and thanked him for supporting Iran, state-owned TASS news agency reported.
"Russia is ready to do everything in its power to ensure that peace in the Middle East is achieved as soon as possible," Putin said during his meeting with Araghchi, which was also attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Revealing that he received a message from Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei last week, Putin asked Araghchi to convey his "gratitude for this message and best wishes for his health and well-being."
He praised the Iranian people for fighting "bravely and heroically" for their sovereignty, Iran's state-run PRESS TV reported.
"We really hope that, based on the courage and desire for independence, the Iranian people, under the guidance of the new leader, will weather this difficult period of trials and peace will come,” Putin said.
He also stressed that Russia “intends to maintain” its strategic relations with Iran.
Araghchi said that the world witnessed Iran’s strength in countering the US during the recent war, and that the Islamic Republic is a "stable and powerful establishment."
"With their courage, the Iranian people succeeded in resisting the US aggression and will be able to endure it,” he said.
He said that it became clear that Iran has “great friends and allies” like Russia, and conveyed “warmest greetings” from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian to the Russian leader.
Araghchi said relations between Moscow and Tehran represent a “strategic partnership at the highest level” and will continue to develop "regardless of circumstances."
"We are grateful to you for the solid and strong positions in support of the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said.
Foreign Minister Lavrov said that the talks between President Putin and the Iranian Foreign Minister were "useful and constructive."
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov later said that Russia is "ready to provide any good offices, any mediation services that are acceptable to the parties."
"We will be ready to do everything so that ultimately peace ensues, guaranteed peace, and that there is no return to hostilities," Peskov was quoted as saying by TASS.
He was asked how Moscow can assist in future negotiations on the Iranian settlement.
Araghchi arrived in Russia after his whirlwind trip to Islamabad, which, according to him, was “very productive” and involved “good consultations" with Pakistan's Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, amid uncertainty over the second round of peace talks to resolve the war in West Asia.
"We held good consultations with our friends in Pakistan. The trip was successful. We assessed the outcome of our recent (meetings) and discussed in what direction and under what conditions talks can move on,” Araghchi said in a video posted on his Telegram channel upon his arrival in St Petersburg.
Referring to the second round of talks between the US and Iran to resolve the conflict in West Asia, Araghchi said: "Developments have taken place in the negotiations."
"Despite some progress in earlier rounds, the talks failed to reach their objectives due to the Americans' approach, the excessive demands they made, and the wrong approaches they adopted. Therefore, it was necessary to consult with our friends in Pakistan to review the latest situation,” Iran's official news agency IRNA quoted him as saying.
He said that the trip to Pakistan was a good opportunity to review developments related to the US-Israeli war against Iran, expressing confidence that “these consultations and coordination between the two countries will be highly significant.”
Araghchi arrived at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport early Monday, where he was welcomed by Russian officials and Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, the report said.
The first round of peace talks between Iran and the US, held on April 11 and 12, failed to bring the desired result for the parties to the conflict.
The Iranian minister arrived in Islamabad for the second time on Sunday after a short visit to Oman, where he held talks with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said on security in the Strait of Hormuz and diplomatic efforts to end the Iran-US conflict.
After Araghchi left Pakistan for Oman on Saturday, President Donald Trump announced that US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would no longer be going to Islamabad for talks with Iran, contending that Washington held all the cards on the matter.
Trump on Sunday reiterated that the US and Iranian officials can talk by phone for a peace solution to the conflict.
On Tuesday, Trump extended the two-week ceasefire with Iran indefinitely to give Tehran more time to prepare a unified proposal to end the war, just hours before the truce was set to expire.
The war began when the US and Israel jointly attacked Iran on February 28, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several top commanders. The retaliation by the Islamic Republic extended the war to the entire Gulf region.
