On the evening of 17th March, Nagpur underwent violent unrest that left more than 30 people wounded over rumours of the burning of a copy of the Quran during a protest by Hindu organisations demanding the removal of Aurangzeb’s tomb in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
Demonstrators covered an effigy of the Mughal despot with a sheet and then put it on fire during the agitation. Rumours, however, quickly surfaced that a copy of Quran had also been burned during the outrage. The fake claims then spread like wildfire especially through social media, triggering members of the Muslim community. The atmosphere became tense as thousands of Muslims gathered to protest and shouted Islamic slogans after which they soon wreaked havoc on the streets of Nagpur.
According to reports, rioters set fire to cars, threw stones and damaged public property. Three cars and around 30 vehicles were set ablaze, 33 police personnel were hurt, and nearly 60 to 65 rioters were arrested. The area around the Kotwali police station was soon affected by the violence that started in Chitnis Park and Mahal and later spread to other parts. The decoration materials intended for the Ram Navami Shobha Yatra were also not spared. According to witnesses, the rioters had their faces concealed and were carrying swords, weapons and bottles.
Government action and investigation into suspected social media accounts
The outnumbered cops had to fire tear gas and resort to lathi charges to bring the situation under control. Afterwards, the authorities enforced a curfew under section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) across police station limits, including Kotwali, Ganeshpeth, Tehsil, Lakadganj, and other sensitive regions, to prevent further unrest.
Over 100 social media accounts are under investigation by the Maharashtra Police Cyber Cell for disseminating misleading material that incited the rioting. Citing that old and altered videos were being shared to stir up more violence, officials have urged the people to disregard rumours. Meanwhile, Hindu organizations threatened to demolish Aurangzeb’s tomb in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, drawing comparisons to the destruction of the disputed structure in Ayodhya. As a result, increased security has been put in place at the location. The police are currently implementing stringent security measures around the tomb and confirming the IDs of visitors.
Clearly, Islamists do not need a valid reason to execute such attacks. Any insignificant issue, or the mere absence of one, can be utilized as an excuse to target non-Muslims and the secular state. The recent incident of violence in Nagpur exemplifies the same. Any Bollywood film that reveals the historical facts or legitimate demands of Hindus against celebrating Muslim tyrants might be perceived as a provocation by bloodthirsty extremists.
More importantly, the individuals instigating violence are not solely those wielding swords or hurling stones in the streets. They also include the individuals who support and enable them as well as those who propagate similar rumours to incite their ideological and religious allies, driven by a desire to revel in the chaos and assaults on non-Muslims, especially Hindus. And there is perhaps no greater satisfaction than achieving this in a state led by the Bharatiya Janata Party.
How anti-Hindu accounts fuelled Quran-burning rumour
As has often been the case, the present situation mirrored previous instances with usual suspects on social media disseminating rumours about Quran burning to justify the violence. These individuals will attribute blame to everything except those who are accountable, owing to their religious or ideological ties to the offenders and their deep-seated animosity towards Hindus.
Aasif Mujtaba who claims to be a journalist and an IIT Delhi scholar alleged that it was “violence between two communities” which only transpired after an “effigy of Aurangzeb and a sheet with Quranic verses was burned by Hindutva groups.” However, it is to be expected from a member of the “Shaheen Bagh movement” which resulted in the anti-Hindu violence in Delhi under the pretext of anti-CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) protests.
Darab Farooqui, a full-time radical and part-time Bollywood screenwriter known for his unwavering advocacy of jihadis, has once again been found spreading falsehoods regarding the Nagpur riots. He, in fact, resembles an average Islamic fundamentalist who propagates deceit to mask their own disgraceful conduct. He alleged that “sanghis want to burn everything.”
Farooqui then added more disinformation and claimed, “Apparently, the chadar they burned included Quranic ayats which is why violence erupted in Nagpur.” No inquiries or uncertainties concerning the actions of the rioters, only a silent affirmation.
Harun Khan, another individual who takes pleasure in circulating misleading information, especially regarding Hindus, parroted the same lies.
A popular account masquerading as a “Muslim activist” was no different and insisted that the violence was provoked by Bajrang Dal members who burned a chadar displaying Quranic verses.
Amin Saiyed shared the same tweet in English to ensure that the non-Hindi-speaking Muslim audience can easily comprehend and further propagate the fabricated news.
Arshad Qureshi, a self-proclaimed neutral observer who did not have any sides or supported the Muslims, also reiterated the same falsehood with a little variation. He wrote “stepping in (on) versus of Quran” instead of the usual “burning versus of Quran” narrative.
Imran Parmar was furious and wanted to know what was wrong with the “Hindutva people” and why did they burn Quran’s verses. He, just like others of his ilk, was indifferent to the facts and subsequently aligned himself with the aggressive stance of his community members, asserting that the violence was warranted as if it is entirely acceptable to indulge in rioting.
The accounts changed but the narrative remained the same as another person distributed the same misinformation that was circulated by more prominent people of their ecosystem on social media and even characterized the members of Bajrang Dal and RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) as “goons” to rationalise the assault by Muslims.
Syed Abdul Rahim echoed the same bogus information and additionally criticized filmmakers for producing “Chhaava” and claimed that its lead actor Vicky Kaushal was the person responsible for the unrest and added, “Propaganda begins to spread by the Bollywood.” Of course, the violent Muslim mob was absolved of any accountability.
Irony did not only die a thousand times but also turned in its grave when a Pakistani account expressed concern for the minorities in India. He reiterated the same lies, which was anticipated, as similar fabricated incidents are orchestrated in Pakistan under the guise of blasphemy to justify the killings of people from marginalised groups particularly Hindus who are second-class citizens in their country and are regularly persecuted there. Hindus and their scared places have no place in Islamist Pakistan but they won’t deny any opportunity to perpetrate lies and cry victimhood on behalf of Indian Muslims.
The aforementioned accounts represent only a small fraction of their kind which poses a much larger challenge, as in today’s technological landscape, news whether genuine or fabricated, spreads rapidly. This ecosystem is constantly seeking opportunities to create discord in the country and conveniently sanitize the truth to protect its favourite accused.
Nagpur violence: A well-planned attack
“In Nagpur, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal held protests. Rumours were spread that things containing religious content were burnt. It looks like a well-planned attack. No one has permission to take law and order into their hands,” highlighted Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in the state assembly. 33 police officers, including three Deputy Commissioners of Police, were hurt in the violence, according to him. He added, “Attacks on police will not be tolerated, strict action will be taken.”
The violence was described as a “planned conspiracy” by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde as well. “Such kind of a brutal incident was never witnessed before. The protestors are protesting for the pride of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. Those who support Aurangzeb should read history and watch the movie Chhaava. I believe that even the true patriotic Muslims will not support Aurangzeb,” he stated.
BJP MLA Pravin Datke also voiced similar sentiments earlier. “There were 4 shops. 2 belonged to Hindus and 2 belonged to Muslims. The shops belonging to Hindus were only burnt. Nothing happened to the shops of the Muslims.” While a Muslim vendor’s cart remained untouched, he pointed out that an elderly Hindu woman’s cart was damaged. He also emphasized that before the rioters went on a rampage, CCTVs were first purposefully broken.
“I spoke to the CP (Commissioner of Police), this is a sensitive area. We called PI (Police Inspector) Sanjay Singh for two hours but his phone was off. We had been reaching out to the police. When they reached here, everything was done here,” he revealed. Notably, other eyewitnesses also complained about police action during the unrest.
How the violence unfolded
Devotees held a Shiv Jayanti celebration in front of the statue of Maratha icon Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the Mahal neighbourhood between 7 and 9 am. A protest seeking the removal of Aurangzeb’s mausoleum was staged by some 40–50 Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) workers at noon. The demonstrators used a ‘chadar’ to cover and burn an effigy of the Mughal emperor during the protest.
During this time, several videos went viral on social media and rumors of Quran burning began to circulate. Some young Muslims began congregating in the area between 5 and 7 pm and raised slogans. Thousands of Muslims quickly took to the streets and began throwing stones at the police. The violence rapidly intensified at 7:30 pm. Stones were hurled at nearby homes and cars as well as motorcycles were set on fire along with a crane.
A person mentioned, “I had gone to drop my wife off at the railway station, and while returning I saw a large unruly mob passing through the Chitnis Park square, where a mosque stands.” A witness reported seeing a group of at least 500 to 600 guys in the Mahal area screaming “Allahu Akbar” and “Labaik-Ya-Rasool-Allah.” He also disclosed that his automobile was struck by one of the stones thrown by them. “They were in hundreds. One of the stones hit my car. But since they all looked angry and agitated, I quietly skirted around them and came back to my home,” he added.
Another man stated, “We shouted at them not to burn the vehicles. I tried to douse the fire with a hose, but they hit me with a stone. My two vehicles and a few other vehicles parked nearby were torched.” He informed, “I called the police. Several others also called. But the police came only after the violence was over.” Witnesses described the horrific scene and stated that children were also subjected to stone-pelting by the angry Muslims who also had petrol bombs and indiscriminately targeted all individuals and objects in the vicinity.
Union minister and Nagpur Lok Sabha MP Nitin Gadkari made a plea for calm to the locals, asking them to assist the government in maintaining order and expressed sadness over the instance.
Conclusion
Now, for discussion, even if the rumours hold some truth, why did they not take a legal approach, instead of choosing to riot? What drives the necessity to exhibit street power and turn to violence at the slightest trigger, rather than responding in a responsible and civilized way? The foremost question is how long the state intends to allow such occurrences to persist and permit itself to be taken hostage by a group of extremists.
