Tension rose in Maharashtra’s Ahilyanagar on Sunday after a “I love Muhammad” graffiti appeared on a roadside rangoli in the Milliwada area. A video of the same went viral, following which Muslim youths protested who blocking the Ahilyanagar–Sambhaji Nagar highway on Monday.
And the protest turned violent, prompting police to baton-charge a stone-pelting mob, officials said, despite one person being arrested in connection with the graffiti, they added.
“The protest began this morning at Kotla in Kotwali area after someone had painted ‘I Love Muhammad’ on the road, which was objected to by members of the Muslim community. A complaint was lodged at Kotwali police station against this graffiti,” an official said to PTI.
“Despite one person being arrested in connection with the graffiti, some people protested. Even as police urged them to maintain law and order, some persons from the mob started pelting stones. Police resorted to a lathi-charge to restore normalcy,” the official said.
At least 30 persons have been detained in connection with the protests, road blockade and stone pelting, Ahilyanagar Superintendent of Police Somnath Gharge said to PTI.
“We used force to maintain law and order. The police are taking action against the accused persons. The situation is under control. Citizens must not believe in or spread rumours," Gharge said.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is currently touring Yavatmal, said authorities will find out if there is a conspiracy to disturb social peace in the state and polarise society by putting up different kinds of boards.
“Everyone is free to practice their own religion but not to indulge in polarisation,” the CM Fadnavis asserted.
This incident adds to the similar events in the near past regarding the “I love Muhammad” campaign, which has been criticised by CM Yogi Adityanath as religious extremism against Hindutva and has met with police action.
However, Asaduddin Owaisi, AIMIM Chief, supported the campaign while saying that it is not a crime and also condemned the police action on the participants.
