Madhya Pradesh: 10 arrested for allegedly raising anti-India slogans

Some persons allegedly objected to a new RSS shakha set up near their place of worship in Gandhinagar.

Sheopur (MP), Apr 6: Ten persons of a minority community have been arrested and around 50 others of the same group were booked for allegedly raising 'anti-India' slogans and uprooting an RSS flag post in Gandhinagar, police said on Thursday.

The incident took place on Sunday, they said, adding that one of the arrested persons was a minor and he was released on bail by a local court. On Sunday evening, members of the minority community allegedly objected to a new RSS shakha set up near their place of worship in Gandhinagar. While the RSS activists alleged that the members raised anti-India slogans, the latter complained that the RSS workers had hurled stones at their religious place, police said.

"The two groups had some differences over the piece of land in Gandhinagar, which actually belongs to the civic body. Members of the two communities had a fight on the issue on Sunday," a police officer requesting anonymity said.

"Earlier, Muslims had organised taqreers (sermons) on the land located close to their mosque. However, of late, the RSS had started holding shakhas there, which did not go down well with members of the minority community. The next day, some persons lodged complaint against over 60 people, including 14 identified members of the minority community, alleging that they raised anti-India slogans and removed the RSS flag. They also alleged that members of the opposite group attacked them," district Superintendent of Police Saket Pandey said.

Following this, the minority community members were booked under IPC sections 295 (injuring or defiling place of worship with intent to insult religion of any class), 506 (criminal intimidation), 294 (obscene acts or words in public), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), 153 (a) (promoting enmity), the officer said.

Police also booked some Muslims for allegedly damaging their vehicle with stones at the Kotwali station, where the two community members gathered after the fight.

"On April 4, two members of minority community also lodged complaints alleging that unidentified right-wing activists had hurled stones at them, following which they sustained head injuries," the SP said.

The RSS activists have also been booked under IPC sections 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others), 294 (obscene acts or words in public), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 34 (common intention), police said.

However, none of the RSS members have been arrested in this connection so far. Pandey said the situation was now peaceful in the city and a huge procession taken out on the occasion of Ram Navami passed off peacefully last evening. He added that the police was acting impartially in the case.

PTI