Clashes erupt in Aheri village of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, security tightened

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: In a suspected fallout of the major clashes, arson and stone-pelting that ravaged Kiradpura area of Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, two groups indulged in violent stone-throwing at each other in the Aheri village of the district on Friday.

A large police force, including a CRPF team, was rushed to Aheri to maintain peace, and the situation is described as ‘under control’ there, with top officers and political leaders keeping an eye on any potential trouble-makers.

The developments came barely 24 hours after historic Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar was rocked by clashes in which one person was killed and over 15 police personnel injured and around 20 police and private vehicles torched during Wednesday-Thursday night.

At least seven persons have been arrested and more than 400 known or unknown persons booked for the rioting that shocked the city on the eve of Ram Navami celebrations, and during the ongoing Ramzan fasting month.

During the festival on Thursday, group clashes also erupted in Jalgaon town where four miscreants have been arrested and many more booked, and the situation is now reported as peaceful.

Late on Thursday, groups indulged in stone pelting at each other in the minority-dominated Malvani area of Malad west suburb of Mumbai and around 25 persons were detained.

The situation there is stated to be normal and under control with police maintaining a tight vigil in view of the ongoing Ramzan month.

The local Congress MLA Aslam Shaikh called upon the police to scan the CCTV footage of the area and take action against those responsible for the clashes Thursday-Friday night.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP and Chief Spokesperson Sanjay Raut has pointed fingers at the ruling Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance for the ‘state-sponsored’ riots which are intended to derail the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi rally scheduled in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar city on Sunday (April 2).

“Our information is that nobody from the two groups wanted any violence… But it was the government which wanted the unrest. It supported those who resorted to the violence by not acting against them. The city has witnessed ‘state-sponsored’ violence to prevent us from taking out our rally on Sunday,” claimed Raut.

State BJP President Chandrashekhar Bawankule hit back by rubbishing Raut’s contentions and saying that if the situation again deteriorates, then the Sena (UBT) MP should be held responsible for making inflammatory statements.

IANS