Bhopal: On Monday, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan vowed that “rioters will not be spared” in the city of Khargone, roughly 300 kilometres from the state capital Bhopal, where stones were allegedly thrown during a Ram Navmi procession. “The situation in Kharagone was tragic. Rioters are not going to be spared. There will be repercussions. They will not only be imprisoned, but also fined for vandalising both public and private property. We’re putting up a ‘claims tribunal,’ “ANI news agency quoted him as saying.
Seventy-seven people have been arrested over the violence, state minister Narottam Mishra told reporters. More than 20 people, including seven police personnel, were injured in the violence that broke out on Sunday in Khargone. Some vehicles were torched and houses were targeted, according to news agency PTI. The district administration had then banned large gatherings, urging people to leave homes only for medical emergencies.
“Seventy-seven people have been arrested so far. Superintendent of Police (Siddharth Choudhary) was injured after he was shot with a taser… can call it bullet too. Six more police personnel were injured, they are all stable. A person not from the police has a severe head injury,” Mishra told reporters on Monday.
Another similar incident was reported during a Ram Navami procession in Sendhwa town of Barwani district where a police station in-charge and five others were injured, according to PTI.
In a tweet, the district administration stated that anyone can request permission from officials for any urgent work, with the exception of medical crises. Exams scheduled for Monday at certain schools and colleges have been rescheduled.
Madhya Pradesh was one of four states where violence broke out during Ram Navmi celebrations on Sunday. Violence was also reported in Gujarat, Bengal, and Jharkhand.
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