By Anurag Dwary
An attack on a young Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader snowballed into intense communal violence in Tarana town of Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain district, leading to large-scale vandalism, arson and a heavy police crackdown over two days.
Ujjain is the home district of Chief Minister and Home Minister Dr Mohan Yadav, adding to the political and administrative sensitivity of the incident.
The violence first erupted on Thursday night after Sohal Thakur Bundela, who heads the VHP’s Gau Seva Prakoshtha locally, was allegedly assaulted by a group of men from the minority community following a verbal altercation. The argument reportedly began over staring and standing at the same spot and soon turned violent, leaving Thakur with multiple injuries.
Following the assault, mobs from both communities took to the streets, pelting stones and vandalising property. At least 11 buses parked near the bus stand were damaged, along with several cars and motorbikes. Police forces rushed in and managed to bring the situation under control late at night. A case was registered against the attackers, and prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the BNSS were imposed across Tarana.
This story was originally published in ndtv.com. Read the full story here.
