Police clash with protesters in Nagpur amid rumours of burning of holy book; four injured
Nagpur, Mar 17 (PTI): Tension gripped central Nagpur on Monday when stones were hurled at police amid rumours that the holy book of the Muslim community was burnt during an agitation by a right-wing body for the removal of Aurangzeb's tomb, leaving four persons injured, officials said.
Police fired tear gas shells and resorted to cane-charge to disperse the mob in Chitnis Park and Mahal areas. Violence also reportedly spread to Kotwali and Ganeshpeth in the late afternoon, officials said.
Officials said the Chitnish Park to Shukrawari Talao road belt was most affected by violence as per the preliminary information, where some four-wheelers were set afire by rioters. Stones were also thrown at the homes of residents.
Police are trying to disperse mobs believed to be in thousands.
The trouble began late afternoon shortly after Bajrang Dal members demonstrated near the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue in Mahal area.
According to police, rumours spread that the Quran was burnt during the agitation. Videos of the Bajrang Dal demonstration quickly went viral on social media, leading to outrage among members of the Muslim community.
A complaint was lodged at Ganeshpeth police station in the evening alleging the burning of the holy book.
Following the complaint, a large number of Muslim community members started gathering in various parts of the city, including Mahal, Kotwali, Ganeshpeth, and Chitanvis Park, police said.
Sensing trouble, police intensified patrolling and summoned additional security forces to maintain law and order.
An official said stones were thrown at police personnel in Chitnis Park and Mahal areas, following which police fired tear gas shells.
An official said there are reports of violence in other areas as well.
Bajrang Dal office-bearers, however, refuted the allegations and claimed that they had only burned an effigy of Aurangzeb as part of their demonstration.
A senior police official confirmed that security had been tightened in sensitive areas, with Quick Response Teams (QRT), Riot Control Police, and the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) being deployed. Additional police personnel from various stations were also summoned.
#WATCH | Nagpur (Maharashtra) violence: DCP Nagpur Archit Chandak says, "This incident occurred due to some miscommunication. Situation is under control right now. Our force here is strong. I appeal to everyone to not step out...or pelt stones. Stone pelting was taking place, so… pic.twitter.com/PJ8mfzQmGD
— ANI (@ANI) March 17, 2025
#WATCH | Maharashtra: Efforts underway to douse fire in vehicles that have been torched in Mahal area of Nagpur.
— ANI (@ANI) March 17, 2025
Tensions have broken out here following a dispute between two groups. pic.twitter.com/rRheKdpGh4
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Cong takes swipe at PM over India not being part of US-led 'Pax Silica' grouping
New Delh (PTI) The Congress on Saturday said it is perhaps not very surprising that India is not part of a US-led strategic initiative to build a secure silicon supply chain, given the "sharp downturn" in the Trump-Modi ties, and asserted that it would have been to "our advantage if we had been part of this group".
Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the news of India not being part of the group comes after the PM had enthusiastically posted on social media about a telephone call with his "once-upon-a-time good friend and a recipient of many hugs in Ahmedabad, Houston, and Washington DC".
In a lengthy post on X, Ramesh said, "According to some news reports, the US has excluded India from a nine-nation initiative it has launched to reduce Chinese control on high-tech supply chains. The agreement is called Pax Silica, clearly as a counter to Pax Sinica. The nations included (for the moment at least) are the US, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia."
"Given the sharp downturn in the Trump-Modi ties since May 10th, 2025, it is perhaps not very surprising that India has not been included. Undoubtedly, it would have been to our advantage if we had been part of this group."
"This news comes a day after the PM had enthusiastically posted on his telephone call with his once-upon-a-time good friend and a recipient of many hugs in Ahmedabad, Houston, and Washington DC," the Congress leader asserted.
The new US-led strategic initiative, rooted in deep cooperation with trusted allies, has been launched to build a secure and innovation-driven silicon supply chain.
According to the US State Department, the initiative called 'Pax Silica' aims to reduce coercive dependencies, protect the materials and capabilities foundational to artificial intelligence (AI), and ensure aligned nations can develop and deploy transformative technologies at scale.
The initiative includes Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia. With the exception of India, all other QUAD countries -- Japan, Australia and the US -- are part of the new initiative.
New Delhi will host the India-AI Impact Summit 2026 on February 19-20, focusing on the principles of 'People, Planet, and Progress'. The summit, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the France AI Action Summit, will be the first-ever global AI summit hosted in the Global South.
Prime Minister Modi and US President Trump on Thursday discussed ways to sustain momentum in the bilateral economic partnership in a phone conversation amid signs of the two sides inching closer to firming up a much-awaited trade deal.
The phone call between the two leaders came on a day Indian and American negotiators concluded two-day talks on the proposed bilateral trade agreement that is expected to provide relief to India from the Trump administration's whopping 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods.
In a social media post, Modi had described the conversation as "warm and engaging".
"We reviewed the progress in our bilateral relations and discussed regional and international developments. India and the US will continue to work together for global peace, stability and prosperity," Modi had said without making any reference to trade ties.
