BHOPAL: Tension gripped a part of Madhya Pradesh's capital Bhopal on Monday night, following allegations of stone pelting on a Lord Ganesh idol immersion procession.
The incident happened when the Lord Ganesh idol installed by the Hindu Ekta Navyuvak Ganesh Utsav Samiti in Nishatpura Colony was being taken in a procession for immersion at the Khatlapura Ghat.
The Samiti’s head, Monu Kushwah, alleged that at around 9.30 pm, while the procession was passing through the sensitive Arif Nagar locality, some men pelted stones at the procession and the idol from behind a place of worship.
Angered over the incident, those forming the procession jammed the road near DIG Bunglow crossing in protest against the alleged incident.
Heavy police force from at least ten police stations was rushed to the concerned area to prevent the situation from worsening any further.
Hindu Utsav Samiti president Chandrashekhar Tiwari alleged that the stone pelting in the Arif Nagar locality damaged the idol, which was being taken for immersion. “At a time when some identical incidents have happened elsewhere in the state, why didn’t the authorities and police ensure proper security arrangements? Why was our idol immersion procession attacked? Have we ever pelted stones on any Muharram procession? We demand immediate action against those involved in the incident, if suitable action isn’t initiated, then retaliatory action will follow, which might necessitate imposition of curfew,” Tiwari said.
Bhopal police commissioner Harinarayanchari Mishra said the situation is under control and a heavy police force has been deployed in the concerned area. “A case has been registered against unidentified accused and investigations are underway to ascertain whether the procession was actually pelted with stones or not.”
Notably, the incident in Bhopal happened just a day after alleged stone pelting outside a Ganesh Puja pandal in a village in southwestern Madhya Pradesh’s Burhanpur district.
While three to four villagers were hurt in that incident, at least seven persons have been arrested by the Lalbag Police in Burhanpur district in connection with the Sunday night incident.
Due to Sunday’s lunar eclipse, the Ganesh idols at many places across the state were immersed on Monday.