The police have registered a case of rioting and vandalism under different Sections of the Indian Penal Code
Zafar Aafaq
NEW DELHI — Videos showing a crowd outside a mosque raising pro-Hindutva slogans with some men atop the mosque trying to place saffron flags on its minarets and vandalising properties of Muslims have gone viral on social media.
The incident took place in Dorana village in Nayi Abadi Police limits in Mandsaur district of Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday afternoon.
According to the police, a crowd had gathered at a rally in Dorana village around 3 pm on Tuesday in which “some anti-social elements crept in which led to commotion”. The crowd vandalised some houses, the police said but denied that there was any damage to the mosque.
“There were enough police personnel at the mosque who protected it,” Bavan Singh Bori, Station House Officer Nayi Abadi Police station told Clarion India on Wednesday.
The visuals of the mosque from the viral videos match with its photos available on google maps. It is called Masjid-e-Ahle Sunnat.
The police have registered a case (FIR- 218) of rioting and vandalism under different Sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 147 (rioting) & 148 (rioting being armed with a deadly weapon), 427 (mischief causing damage), 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt dangerous weapons or means ) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation).
The SHO said that five people had been arrested in this case but refused to identify the accused. He added the situation in the area had returned to normal.
This is the second such incident in Madhya Pradesh in the last 24 hours. Earlier, members of a Hindu outfit shouted slogans like ‘Jai Shree Ram’ outside a mosque which reportedly triggered clashes between the two sides in Chandankhede area in Indore district.