BHOPAL: Seven persons suffered injuries after a procession taken out by saffron outfits to seek donations for Ram Temple at Ayodhya was allegedly attacked by people from a particular community in Chandan Khedi village of Indore district on Tuesday.
This is the second such incident in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh within three days.
Earlier, on December 26, a similar procession being carried out by saffron outfits had come under attack in Mahakal police station area of Ujjain, after which eight persons, including two women, were arrested and the house from where stones were pelted, was demolished as part of the ongoing anti-mafia drive in the state.
The National Security Act (NSA) too was invoked against some accused.
The procession was attacked by villagers with stones and even bottles. "We're trying to find out whether reports of firing in the air having happened are true or not," said Indore district collector Manish Singh.
A heavy police force was rushed to the spot, which prevented the situation from worsening. The procession which had official permission from authorities, dispersed from the village later.
According to additional SO (ASP-Mhow) Amit Tolani, several persons whose involvement has come to light have been detained and a case has been registered.
Meanwhile, in Bhopal, a Congress delegation led by ex-minister Sajjan Verma met the state's chief secretary and DGP. The Congress leaders demanded high-level probe into the Ujjain incident.
The delegation, which also, included Bhopal Central MLA Arif Masood (who was booked few weeks back for organising a rally in Bhopal against French President) alleged that the action by local police and administration in Ujjain recently was inappropriate and one-sided.
"People who don't have any criminal past have been slapped with NSA, while no action has been taken those people who had carried out the procession with any official permission. The procession which was taken out sans permission comprised people with criminal past and also previous NSA action against them, but no action was taken against them as they had the patronage of ruling BJP, " the Congress delegation alleged.
The Congress leaders alleged that all these processions are being carried out with BJP's blessings to vitiate communal amity and help the ruling party polarize votes in the future urban local body polls