Nagpur violence: ‘Aurangzeb not ideal for India’, says Ramdev; 100 arrests made so far by police | 10 updates

Members of the Muslim community in Nagpur have strongly condemned the recent violence in the city and called for an impartial investigation, stating that timely intervention by the police could have prevented the unrest.

Also Read: RSS says Mughal emperor Aurangzeb is 'irrelevant'; 54 detained by police

Here are the top ten updates:

1. The Nagpur Police on Thursday arrested nine more individuals in connection with the March 17 clashes, bringing the total number of arrests to over 100. In addition, local police stations have launched their arrest operations, using various CCTV footage, which may result in further arrests in the coming days. Meanwhile, a viral CCTV footage from Nagpur, captured hours before the violence erupted, has surfaced on social media. The video shows a group, believed to be rioters, conducting a reconnaissance of the area before the clashes.

2. During a press conference on Thursday, members of the Muslim community urged Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to meet with representatives from both communities to help restore peace, PTI reported. Large-scale stone pelting and arson were reported in several parts of Nagpur on Monday evening after rumours began circulating about a ‘chadar' with holy inscriptions being burnt during protests led by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) seeking the removal of Aurangzeb's tomb.

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3. “Efforts are being made to provoke the Muslim community through various means in the last two to three years. A minister has been continuously raising the topic of Aurangzeb. The Muslim community has no connection to Aurangzeb and has remained calm,” Dr Mohammad Awes Hasan said at the press conference, as reported by PTI.

4. He alleged that right-wing outfits burnt a ‘chadar’ with Islamic verses on it which prompted members of the Muslim community to approach the police demanding action against them. However, when police did not take any step, some of them became agitated, he said.

5. Several individuals who spoke at the press conference acknowledged the police's efforts to restore normalcy but claimed that innocent people had been arrested as part of the investigation into the violence. Meanwhile, Pyare Khan, the chief of the Maharashtra State Minorities Commission, held a meeting on Thursday, which was attended by the police commissioner, district collector, and other officials.

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6. No action should be taken against innocent persons, he urged police. He also asked the administration to relax curfew in Mominpura and nearby localities as Ramzan is underway and business was being affected, PTI noted.

7. Thirty-three police personnel, including three DCP rank officers, were injured in Monday's violence. Police have booked Fahim Khan, the key accused in the violence, and five others on charges of sedition and spreading misinformation on social media, as per police. Curfew was lifted or relaxed in parts of the city three days after the violence.

8. Addressing the recent violence in Nagpur, Maharashtra, Yoga Guru Swami Ramdev on Thursday condemned the glorification of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, calling him a symbol of cruelty and oppression, ANI reported. "Aurangzeb, who imprisoned his father, denied him food and water, and killed his brother, cannot be an ideal for India," Ramdev stated.

Also Read: Nagpur Violence: ‘We doused fire,’ residents describe chaos, say police and fire brigade arrived ‘after miscreants fled’

9. In a recent development, Maharashtra Police's Cyber cell said that one of the accused in the Nagpur violence "edited and circulated videos" and “glorified violence” on social media, which led to the riots spreading in various parts of the city, ANI reported.

10. “He (Faheem Khan) edited and circulated the video of the protest against Aurangzeb due to which the riots spread. He also glorified violent videos,” cyber cell's Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Lohit Matani told ANI here.

(With inputs from agencies)