New Delhi: The US has expressed concern over the ongoing communal violence in Gurugram which has seen rioting, the torching of a mosque and the murder of an imam.
On Thursday, Matthew Miller, Spokesperson for the US State Department, responded to a question about the ongoing violence and whether any American had been affected by the conflict.
“I would say of -– with respect to the clashes that obviously we would, as always, urge calm and urge parties to refrain from violent actions,” said Miller during a weekly press briefing.
He added that the US State Department has not yet heard of any Americans affected by the violence.
After communal clashes erupted during a religious procession in Haryana’s Nuh district on Monday, targetted attacks followed in neighbouring Gurugram including the attack on the Anjuman Jama Masjid — located in Gurugram’s Sector 57 — by a mob of 90 to 100 people, according to an FIR registered Tuesday.
On Tuesday afternoon, a mob torched shops and shanties, mostly owned by Muslims, in parts of Gurugram and the following day, the Vishva Hindu Parishad and its youth wing Bajrang Dal held multiple protests in the area.
This comes days after the US State Department commented on ethnic violence in Manipur, which has left over 140 dead, and which was raging when Prime Minister Naredendra Modi was on an official visit to the US.
During a press briefing on 26 July, US State Department Deputy Spokesperson, Vedant Patel, was asked to comment on a viral video of two women being paraded naked and subjected to sexual violence in conflict-hit Manipur.
“We were shocked and horrified by the video of this extreme attack on two women in Manipur,” Patel said, adding that the US supported the Indian government’s efforts to bring justice to the affected families.
The US encourages a “peaceful” and “inclusive” resolution to the violence in Manipur and for authorities to respond to the humanitarian needs and protect the lives and property of all groups, Patel said.
The Supreme Court came down heavily on the Manipur government this week, commenting there was a “complete breakdown of law and order and the constitutional machinery” in the state.
The apex court was hearing several petitions, including one filed by the two abused women, on crimes committed in the northeastern states.
The three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, has asked the Manipur director general of police to be present in court when it hears the case next on 7 August.
Also read: ‘Social media posts can’t be excuse for attack on yatra’: Haryana home minister on Nuh violence