A Durga puja procession was attacked in Bihar’s Saran district early on 27th October allegedly by miscreants from a “particular community”. Six people have been injured in the attack in which the idol of Goddess Durga was also damaged.
According to eyewitnesses cited by Hindustan Times, a group of miscreants began throwing stones at the procession, damaging the idol. In response, some youth pelted stones at nearby houses leading to a clash between two communities.
After #Begusarai and #Aurangabad, communal tension gripped #Bihar's Saran district briefly when two communities engaged in stone pelting during immersion of #Durga idols, sources said.
— IANS (@ians_india) October 27, 2023
It started with a heated exchange of words between two communities over a trivial issue which… pic.twitter.com/07VjgGI5wo
The HT report quoted the police saying that the procession was attacked with stones while it was passing through a minority-dominated area in the New Bazar locality.
Saran Superintendent of police (SP) Dr Gaurav Mangla said that preliminary inquiry reveals that the Durga immersion procession was attacked as it was passing in front of a mosque.
The SP added, “They did not stop the music and thus, an enraged community started pelting stones at the procession. The procession is said to be unlicensed.”
Another senior official reportedly said that the attack might not have been spontaneous and the particular community may have been prepared with stones from before, in anticipation of the procession.
A report by The Statesman claimed that the stone pelting ensued after a heated exchange of words between the two communities.
Meanwhile, the SP along with other senior officers as well as reinforcement teams rushed to the spot after the clashes started at around 5 am. Heavy police force was deployed in the area to restore normalcy.
Police said a first information report will be lodged against members from both sides on charges of rioting and unlawful assembly after immersion processions are over.
This is the fourth such incident reported in Bihar. On 25th October, Durga Puja processions were attacked and stones were pelted on the same in Begusarai, Aurangabad (Bihar), and Bhojpur.
