How rumours of holy book desecration fuelled Nagpur violence

Reports of a sacred text being disrespected during a protest in Nagpur by right-wing factions advocating for the removal of Aurangzeb’s tomb seem to have ignited the violence on Monday. Numerous vehicles were set ablaze in extensive arson and vandalism as two communities fought in Nagpur, leading police to deploy tear gas and use lathi charges to restore order.

Rocks were likewise hurled at the residences of inhabitants in the Chitnis Park and Mahal regions. Almost 30 law enforcement officers have sustained injuries during the unrest, prompting the administration to impose prohibitory measures restricting large assemblies. Authorities reported that more than 60 individuals involved in the riots had been arrested.

BJP MLA Pravin Datke from Nagpur Central alleged that the violence was orchestrated in advance and that all CCTV cameras were destroyed.

“This entire thing was pre-planned. After an agitation on Monday morning, an incident took place at Ganesh Peth police station, then everything was normal. Later, the mob entered only Hindu houses and shops… First, all the cameras were broken, and then the violence was carried out with weapons in a pre-planned manner,” he said.

From 7 to 9 am, followers conducted a Shiv Jayanti event near the statue of Maratha leader Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the Mahal locality. Later, around noon, approximately 40-50 members of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal staged a protest calling for the destruction of Aurangzeb’s tomb. During the demonstration, the protesters draped a ‘chadar’ over a representation of the Mughal emperor and burned it.

Following this, reports emerged regarding the desecration of a sacred text, and numerous videos began to circulate on social media.

From 5 pm to 7 pm, a group of young individuals from the Muslim community began to assemble in the area and chant slogans. In a brief period, numerous young individuals took to the streets and began throwing stones at the police.

At approximately 7:30 pm, the situation grew violent very quickly. Vehicles and motorcycles were ignited, and rocks were hurled at multiple homes in the vicinity. A crane was additionally ignited. The police first used baton charges; however, as the situation intensified, they began firing tear gas canisters.

At first, more than 25 protesters were arrested. Approximately 5-6 civilians were hurt. The cyber unit of the Maharashtra Police has initiated an inquiry into over 100 social media accounts that supposedly incited unrest. Officials have urged the public to disregard rumors due to the circulation of old videos on the internet.