A DAY after communal clashes erupted during a Ram Navami procession in Khargone in Madhya Pradesh, the district administration on Monday carried out a demolition drive, razing 16 houses and 29 shops in five localities of the town. In Bhopal, while Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said a claims tribunal would be formed and action taken against rioters, Home Minister Narottam Mishra issued a warning, saying, “Jis ghar se pathar aaye hain, us ghar ko hi patharon kaa dher banaenge (We will turn the houses from where the stones were pelted to a heap of rubble)." At least 10 houses were set ablaze and more than two dozen people, including Khargone Superintendent of Police Siddharth Choudhary, were injured in Sunday's violence. On Monday, the demolitions started in the morning from Chhote Mohan Talkies area, where four 'illegal' structures were demolished, after which demolitions were carried out in Aurangpura, Khaskhaswadi, Ganesh Mandir and Talab chowk areas. Talab chowk was from where the Ram Navami procession set off on Sunday, before violence began barely 500 metres away. Of the 45 demolitions on Monday, the highest number was in Khaskhaswadi, where 12 homes and 10 shops were demolished. Bhawsar mohalla, located behind Khaskhaswadi, was among the areas that reported heavy stone pelting on Sunday. The district administration on Monday demolished at least 20 ‘illegal’ buildings and shops in three different localities of Khargone in Madhya Pradesh in the wake of clashes during a Ram Navami procession. pic.twitter.com/6NvCLLgpcq — The Indian Express (@IndianExpress) April 11, 2022 Speaking to The Indian Express, Sub Divisional Magistrate Milind Dhoke said, "All the shops and houses that have been demolished so far were illegal structures constructed on encroached land. There were reports of stone pelting from these areas after which action was taken." Speaking to the media, Dr Pawan Kumar Sharma, Commissioner, Indore Range, said, "So far, 84 people have been arrested and their illegal properties and encroachments are being demolished. Fifty places have been identified so far and action will continue." Khargone District Collector P Anugraha said the demolished buildings were illegal constructions and that the drive wasn’t targeted at any particular community. “The buildings demolished were illegal structures set up on encroached land belonging to people from both communities,” she told The Indian Express. Of the 12 shops demolished in the Talab chowk area, eight were run by Muslims and the remaining four by Hindus. All the 12 shops were part of the Khargone Jama Masjid complex and owned by the masjid committee. At Talab chowk, Rafeek Mohammad, 50, stood outside his demolished scrap shop in the fading evening light, trying to salvage whatever little he could. “I do not support the rioters and I want them to be arrested but why was my shop demolished today? How will I sustain my family of 17 now? Will the CM explain?” Narendra Sureshchand Gupta, whose kirana shop in the area was among those razed, said, "I had taken the shop on rent from the masjid committee authority, and no notice was given to us. Had the committee got the notice, they would have told us. We learnt about the demolition an hour before they brought in the bulldozers. Since I live nearby, I rushed in and, with help from others, managed to take out whatever I could." DIG Tilak Singh said 11 FIRs have been registered in the case of Sunday’s violence and 84 people have been arrested. Earlier in the day, calling the Khargone incident “unfortunate”, Chief Minister Chouhan said in a tweet, “There is no place for rioters on the soil of Madhya Pradesh. These rioters have been identified, they will not be released. Strictest action will be taken against them.” Chouhan further said that a claims tribunal would be formed under the state's Prevention of Damage to Public and Private Property and Recovery of Damages Act. "All rioters will be punished and all damages after assessment will be recovered from them,” he added. Speaking to reporters in Bhopal, Home Minister Mishra said, "Presently, there is peace in Khargone. There is sufficient police force but curfew is still in place. All rioters are being identified." Sharma, the Indore Range Commissioner, said three contractual employees of the government have been removed for “spreading rumours” while another employee has been suspended. SP Siddharth Choudhary, who was injured in Sunday's clash, continues to be in hospital. "The SP sustained pellet injuries on his leg. it might also be identified as bullet injuries," Minister Mishra told reporters. Khargone Congress MLA Ravi Joshi, who visited the town Sunday night, blamed the clash on “gross negligence of police”.
