In a brazen attempt to cover up the violence that erupted in Nagpur, Maharashtra on Monday (17th March) after Muslim mobs attacked Hindu groups protesting for the removal of the tomb of tyrant Mughal ruler Aurangzeb in Sambhaji Nagar, the Times of India insinuated that the violence was carried out by the Hindu protestors.
In its article about the Nagpur violence, the popular English daily wrote, “Violent clashes erupted on Monday night in Mahal area of central Nagpur, 2 km from the fortified RSS headquarters, after protests demanding the removal of Aurangzeb’s tomb spiralled out of control, resulting in stone-pelting, arson and attacks on police personnel”. The choice of words in the report gave the impression that the violence was caused by the protestors who went out of control. In the opening para, the article cleverly omits to mention anything related to the attacks by Muslim mobs on the Hindu protestors.
The TOI article further claims that “another community” was triggered and assembled in large numbers after hearing “the rumours of effigies of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb and a religious ‘chadar’ being burnt by right-wing activists near Shivaji Putla Square at Mahal gate”. Attributing the violence entirely to the Hindu protestors, the TOI article stated that the protestors clashed with the police, hurled stones and damaged property.
Eyewitnesses claimed violent mob shouted Islamic slogans
The eyewitness accounts of the violence revealed the violent mobs consisting of thousands of people with their faces covered went around on a rampage vandalising properties and torching vehicles while chanting Islamic slogans of “Allahu Akbar” and “Labaik-Ya-Rasool-Allah”. One of the eyewitnesses that OpIndia spoke to said that he saw a mob of at least 500 to 600 men chanting slogans of “Allahu Akbar” and “Labaik-Ya-Rasool-Allah” in the Mahal region. He also revealed that the mob was pelting stones and that one of the stones hit his car. “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 said.
Another eyewitness, Chandrakant Kawde, told ANI the violent mob of around 200 rioters burnt the Ram Navami Shobha Yatra material. They burnt down his and his brother’s bikes. “There was decoration material for the Ram Navami Shobha Yatra that was dragged with the vehicles and torched.” He pointed out that the rioters first targeted CCTV cameras to prevent identification before torching the vehicles. Chandrakant urged the government to help them with compensation for the losses they had suffered. He said that the police came at least 30 minutes after the violence had ended.
Speaking to PTI, eyewitness Vansh Kawle said that there were children among the mobsters and raising Islamic slogans. “They came in large numbers. They had big stones and petrol bombs in their hands. They pelted stones, vandalised property, and torched vehicles,” Kawle said.
BJP MLA claimed that the violence was pre-planned
BJP MLA Pravin Datke claimed that the violence was pre-planned. He pointed out that violent mobs selectively targeted the shops and carts belonging to Hindu vendors while leaving out those belonging to Muslim vendors. “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,” Datke said.
On 17th March, violence erupted over rumours, including the burning of a copy of the Quran and a photograph, during a protest by Hindu groups demanding the removal of Aurangzeb’s tomb in Sambhaji Nagar. Islamist mobs reportedly pelted stones, torched vehicles, and vandalised public property. Around 15 police officials and five civilians were injured in the clashes.
The violence broke out in Chitnis Park and Mahal and soon spread to the Kotwali police station area. Authorities imposed Section 144 to restore order. Bharatiya Janata Party MP Nitin Gadkari, who was elected from Nagpur, issued a video statement and urged residents to maintain peace and cooperate with the administration.
