Nagpur Violence: Mayawati urges Maharashtra govt for action against "unruly elements"

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], March 18 (ANI): Amid the ongoing ruckus over the demands made by Sangh Parivar organisations for the removal of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb's tomb, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Tuesday morning termed such calls as "not right" and damaging to the "mutual brotherhood, peace and harmony". She urged the Maharashtra government to take action against "unruly elements".
Fearing that the situation may worsen, Mayawati urged the Mahayuti government in Maharashtra to take strict action against "unruly elements".
"It is not right to damage or break anyone's grave or mausoleum in Maharashtra because this is spoiling the mutual brotherhood, peace and harmony there. The government should take strict action against such unruly elements, especially in Nagpur. Otherwise, the situation can worsen, which is not right," the BSP chief posted on X.
Her reaction comes after violence">violence erupted in Nagpur's Hansapuri area as unidentified individuals vandalized shops, torched vehicles, and pelted stones, following an earlier clash between two groups in the Mahal area that had already heightened tensions in the city, according to reports.
An eyewitness from Hansapuri described the chaos caused by a masked group. "A team came here. Their faces were hidden with scarves. They had sharp weapons, stickers, and bottles in their hands. They started the ruckus, vandalized shops, and pelted stones. They also torched vehicles," the eyewitness said.
A curfew has been imposed in multiple areas of Nagpur city under Section 163 of the Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) following tensions over the demand to remove Aurangzeb's grave, read an official Maharashtra police notification.
According to the official order issued by Nagpur Police Commissioner Ravinder Kumar Singal, the restrictions will remain in place until further notice.
The curfew applies to police station limits in Kotwali, Ganeshpeth, Tehsil, Lakadganj, Pachpaoli, Shantinagar, Sakkardara, Nandanvan, Imamwada, Yashodharanagar, and Kapilnagar.
As stated in the order, on March 17, around 200 to 250 members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal gathered near the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue in Mahal, Nagpur, to support removing Aurangzeb's grave. The protesters raised slogans demanding the grave's removal and displayed a symbolic green cloth filled with cow dung cakes.
Later, at 7:30 pm, around 80 to 100 people reportedly gathered in Bhaldarpura, creating tension and disrupting law and order. The order notes that the gathering caused distress to the public and affected the movement of people on the roads.
The order stated that the police had imposed a "communication ban (curfew)" in affected areas under Section 163 to prevent further incidents and maintain peace.
"During the lockdown period, no person should go out of the house for any reason other than medical reasons, nor should more than five people gather inside it. Also, orders are passed to prohibit spreading any kind of rumour, prohibiting doing all such acts," the order read.
The police have been authorised to close roads in affected areas to maintain law and order. Anyone violating the curfew "remains punishable under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS)."
However, the order clarifies that it "will not be applicable to police officers/employees on duty as well as government/administrative officers/employees, students appearing for essential services, and persons related to the fire brigade and various departments." (ANI)