Mumbai: Maharashtra’s Kolhapur boiled with communal conflict Wednesday after a group of Hindutva organisations called a bandh in the city to protest against an allegedly objectionable social media post shared by some persons the previous day.
The purported post was about Tipu Sultan, the 18th-century Muslim ruler of the erstwhile princely state of Mysore. Stonepelting erupted as the police stepped in and asked the protesters to return.
A day earlier, stonepelting was reported in another district of Maharashtra — Ahmednagar — during a rally organised by the Sakal Hindu Samaj, an umbrella organisation of several Hindutva outfits, in Sangamner town. Two people were injured and five vehicles vandalised.
The ‘Hindu Jan Akrosh Morcha’ was organised allegedly after some youths displayed photos of 17th-century Mughal emperor Aurangzeb at a rally in the area.
Speaking to reporters in Navi Mumbai Wednesday, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also holds the home portfolio, said “acts of glorifying Mughal emperor Aurangzeb or Tipu Sultan will not be tolerated in Maharashtra”.
Meanwhile, the Opposition has accused the state government of encouraging communal conflict.
With these two incidents, Maharashtra has seen nine incidents of communal conflict in 4 months.
All the incidents were around common themes — a procession, a temple or a mosque, and social media posts. In all cases, one or more of these factors sparked tensions between Hindu and Muslim groups.
Speaking to the media, Kolhapur collector Rahul Rekhavar said the situation had been brought under control and heavy police bandobast was in place, including the State Reserve Police Force. He also appealed to the people to not believe social media rumours.
“We have been talking to all involved stakeholders since yesterday and will continue talking to them to restore peace,” he said. “The history of our region is of brotherhood and we appeal to the people of Kolhapur to remain calm.”
Kolhapur Superintendent of Police (SP) Mahendra Pandit told the media that 21 people had been detained so far, including those who shared the purported social media status, and those involved in Wednesday’s incident.
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What happened
On Tuesday, a few youths from Kolhapur allegedly shared some objectionable post regarding Tipu Sultan on social media. The exact content of the purported post is not known.
In its wake, SP Pandit said, he held talks with people from both communities the same day with an appeal to maintain peace, adding that action against the youths responsible was taken Tuesday itself.
He said he had asked the participants to not call a bandh Wednesday. While some seniors from the Hindutva organisations agreed, the younger members didn’t, Pandit added.
Come Wednesday morning, they gathered at the main chowk of Kolhapur demanding a bandh.
“But we spoke to their representatives and appealed to them that whoever wanted to keep their shops closed voluntarily had done so and I also informed them that action was been taken against what happened yesterday,” he added.
“I appealed to them to ask the protesters to return peacefully. But while returning, some of the protesters started stonepelting in a mixed locality, targeting a few houses, and some vehicles were vandalised too,” he added.
Rising communal incidents
There are many factors why communal tension is on the rise in the state.
This includes Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena leading a campaign against loudspeakers atop mosques in April and May last year; the uproar over “love jihad” after Mumbai’s Shraddha Walkar was allegedly murdered by her Muslim boyfriend; and more than 50 ‘Hindu Jan Akrosh’ rallies held by the Sakal Hindu Samaj across the state, seeking to alert people against supposed “love jihad” and “land jihad” by Muslims.
Other instances include the renaming of cities like Aurangabad and Osmanabad to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Dharashiv, respectively, and the change in Maharashtra’s political landscape, with a split in the Shiv Sena meaning there are now three parties jostling for supremacy over the Hindutva agenda.
In light of the incidents, Opposition parties have raised questions over the government’s handling of law and order in the state.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar Wednesday claimed “religious colour” was being given to some small issues in Maharashtra, and the ruling parties are encouraging such things, which he said is a cause for concern.
“Recently we heard about Ahmednagar. Today, I saw news from Kolhapur. People came out on roads… giving religious colour to a small incident of sending a message over the phone is not a good sign. The ruling parties are encouraging such things,” Pawar alleged while speaking to reporters in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad).
“Maintaining law and order and peace is the responsibility of the government. But if the government itself provokes people and creates divisions in the society, it is not a good sign,” he said.
छत्रपती संभाजीनगर दौऱ्यावर असताना आज स्थानिक पत्रकारांशी विविध मुद्द्यांवर संवाद साधला.
राज्यात संगमनेर व कोल्हापूर येथे पुन्हा सामाजिक तणावाच्या घटना घडल्या. कोल्हापूर येथील आंदोलनाची बातमी टिव्हीवर पाहिली. कोणीतरी मोबाईलवर मेसेज पाठवतो. त्यावरुन लगेच रस्त्यावर उतरुन अशा… pic.twitter.com/h3za1y7Qvc
— Sharad Pawar (@PawarSpeaks) June 7, 2023
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, also speaking to the media in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, said, “The government should take strict action against those who are keeping Aurangzeb’s statuses like this, and such things happening during the so-called ‘pure Hindutvawadi’ government is embarrassing.”
“But if someone is stoking unrest only for elections, that wont be accepted,” he added.
Meanwhile, Fadnavis said the incidents need to be investigated.
“Some politicians had been saying that there could be a riot-like situation in the state,” he added. “Responding to the comments of these leaders, youths of a particular community showcased pictures of Aurangzeb. They also glorified Aurangzeb and Tipu Sultan. It cannot be a mere coincidence.”
“Why suddenly have these images been displayed in various districts of Maharashtra? It does not happen easily or automatically,” he said.
As it “cannot be a mere coincidence”, Fadnavis added, “we will have to dig deeper into this matter”.
“We are conducting a probe into who is glorifying Aurangzeb and who is provoking people to do so. Once the probe is over, I will reveal those things.”
(Edited by Sunanda Ranjan)
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