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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Epstein Files: CPI(M) demands Hardeep Singh Puri's removal from Union cabinet
New Delhi (PTI): The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Friday slammed the government for not taking action against the Indians named in the Epstein Files and demanded the removal of Minister Hardeep Singh Puri from the Union cabinet.
In a statement, the CPI(M) also slammed the government for not allowing discussion on the Epstein Files in Parliament.
The party's general secretary M A Baby accused Puri, the Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, of "lying" in his press conference.
"Despite clear evidence of Hardeep Singh Puri's involvement in Epstein Files, the Union government is not allowing a discussion in Parliament," Baby said on X.
"The minister has even lied in his own press conference. He has brought disgrace to our nation. PM Narendra Modi should sack him right away!" Baby said.
The CPI(M), in its statement, said extremely "repulsive and abhorrent" content of the Epstein Files is unravelling daily and "despite the attempts of the US Department of Justice and the Trump Administration at a grand cover-up, the facts are coming out".
The Left party said there is "no iota of doubt" about the aggressive criminal nature and impunity of the network involving the power elite comprising politicians, financial overlords, tech giants and celebrities, who were part of this "criminal network of which Epstein was the chief facilitator".
Several countries are initiating concrete legal and punitive actions, the party said, citing the example of Prince Andrew being stripped of his titles and arrested in the UK.
"Several others have been forced to resign from their positions in their respective nations," it said, adding that despite clear evidence of the involvement of Puri and industrialist Anil Ambani, there was no attempt by the Union government to force an explanation and ensure accountability.
"In the face of available evidence, Hardeep Singh Puri has been caught lying in his own press conference. Yet, instead of being sacked, he is being protected by all devious means," it said.
The CPI(M) Polit Bureau categorically demanded that the Prime Minister remove Puri from the Union cabinet to "redeem national embarrassment and shame".
The Epstein Files are thousands of pages of documents related to two criminal investigations into sex trafficking by financier Jeffrey Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, including travel logs, recordings and emails that have been a topic of conversation since Epstein died in custody in 2019.
Puri has figured in the publicly released documents, with references largely linked to his earlier diplomatic tenure and association with the International Peace Institute in New York.
The Union petroleum minister has stated that his interaction with Epstein was limited to a few professional meetings and email exchanges in the context of multilateral and institutional work. He said he had met Epstein on a "few occasions" but his interactions had nothing to do with the crimes the convicted sex offender was involved in.
