PUNE: PUNE: Even as the Hindu-Muslim riots fail to simmer down in the Indian towns of Miraj, Sangli, Kolhapur, a curfew was imposed for an indefinite period in the fourth town, Ichalkaranji in Kolhapur district, on Monday following Hindu-Muslim clashes.
Curfew was also re-imposed in Miraj and Sangli until Tuesday afternoon after being relaxed for two hours on Monday to enable people to buy essential commodities.
There has been no respite since Hindu-Muslim riots broke out in Miraj in the western Indian state of Maharashtra last Wednesday following the removal of the arch depicting the Maratha warrior Shivaji slaying the Mughal general Afzal Khan, which the Muslims objected to. However, adding more fuel to the fire was a statement by Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray on Monday through the Sena mouthpiece Samana. On the one hand, riots erupted in Miraj, Sangli, Kolhapur and Ichalkaranji because of the arch; on the other, the hard-line Hindu leader was spitting venom and telling people posters illustrating the valor of Shivaji should be displayed everywhere.
Thackeray said Muslims defiled the statues of the Hindu deity Ganesh in Miraj and the state government provided them protection while it arrested the Hindus who tried to usher in peace.
In Ichalkaranji, where curfew was imposed on Monday, the police arrested 300 rioters. Several private and government vehicles were damaged by the rioters. The police fired several rounds in the air to disperse the mobs from both sides.
The police denied permission to Sena leaders Divakar Raote, Parshuram Uparkar and Nelima Gorhe who wanted to visit the riot-affected areas in Miraj and Sangli. All three were detained and turned back to Mumbai. The Bharatiya Janata Party’s national Vice President Gopi-nath Munde who was preparing to fly to Kolhapur was also stopped at Mumbai airport.
Police patrols were intensified in Satara and security increased in Karada, Wai, Mahableshwar, Panchgain, Koregaon and Phaltan.
The police called a meeting of Hindu and Muslim organizations in Satara and appealed to them to help maintain peace. Armed pickets were posted at important junctions and sensitive places. Additional police reinforcements were summoned from nearby districts as were contingents of Rapid Action Force, Central Reserve Police Force and Home Guards.
The situation is “very explosive” and fears of the riots spreading to other parts of the state cannot be ruled out, said a Congress leader.
