Clashes during Ram Navami procession in MP: Rioters will not be spared, says CM; 77 arrested, informs Home Minister

Chouhan further pointed out that a Prevention of Damage to Public and Private Property and Recovery of Damages Bill has been passed by the government and a claims tribunal is being formed. “All rioters will be punished and all damages after assessment will be recovered from them,” he added.

Meanwhile, Home Minister Narottam Mishra said that 77 people have already been arrested. “The situation is under control at Khargone. All rioters are being identified and 77 have been arrested so far,” he added.

#MadhyaPradesh में पत्रकारों की सुरक्षा और उनके सम्मान का सरकार पूरा ध्यान रखती है।

सीधी व टीकमगढ़ में पत्रकारों से अभद्रता करने वालों पर कानूनसम्मत कार्रवाई की गई है। pic.twitter.com/HgsjITkhvs

— Dr Narottam Mishra (@drnarottammisra) April 11, 2022

Mishra further informed that the Superintendent of Police was shot in the leg and six more cops were also injured during the violence. “Besides them, a person identified as Shivam Shukla had sustained serious injuries, but is currently out of danger.”

Mishra, sending out a warning to the rioters, said: “Jis ghar se pathar aae hai. Us ghar ko hi patharo kaa dher banaenge (the house where the stones have come from will be turned into a pile of stones itself).” He also clarified that similar clashes were reported in the adjoining Sendhwa block of neighbouring Barwani district, but the situation there was under control as well.

According to sources, the clash broke out near Talab Chowk mosque when some people opposed the provocative songs being played during the procession. Videos of the incident showed a mob pelting stones at the mosque and homes close to it. The police are seen disbursing the mob. When the incident broke out, BJP leader Kapil Mishra was also in Khargone to attend the Shriram Janmotsav Shobha Yatra procession. Sharing photos on Twitter, he wrote, “Na Musa na Burhan, Bas Jai Shree Ram. Hamari Ram Navami yatra Khargone, Madhya Pradesh, me shuru.”

The Collector said the Talab Chowk clash led to clashes in Qazipura and other parts of the city and several vehicles were torched. Close to 60 km away from Khargone city, similar clashes and stone pelting took place in communally sensitive Sedhwa block of adjoining Barwani district.