BHOPAL: More than a month after curfew was imposed following large-scale violence by anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protesters in Jabalpur town of Madhya Pradesh, fresh violence of stone pelting was reported from the same communally sensitive town on Sunday.
The incident happened when pro-CAA right-wing Hindu outfits were taking out a 'Tiranga Yatra' with the permission of local administration to mark the 71st Republic Day.
When the Tiranga Yatra reached Anand Nagar area under Adhartal and Gohalpur police station, the cops stopped them from going further as they had been granted permission only till a particular spot.
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'Those taking out the Tiranga Yatra were allowed to go till where they were permitted, but they started insisting to go ahead through the area where the other group has gathered since last few days. The Tiranga Yatra people wanted to go through the barricaded area insisting that those gathered in that area, including women, were hindering road traffic,' said Jabalpur district collector Bharat Yadav.
While the district administration and police were talking to the group who organised the Tiranga Yatra, the anti-CAA/NRC protestors in Gazi Bagh (Anand Nagar) area started raising slogans leading to a tense situation.
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'We told the Tiranga Yatra group that the other group which has been protesting in the area since last few days was given permission for their demonstrations till Saturday only and will not be allowed to gather there anymore, after which the Tiranga Yatra group accepted to return. But suddenly stone pelting started in the area,' the district collector added.
According to informed sources, the police used force and tear gas shells to disperse those indulging in large scale stone-pelting.
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'We’ve decided that as continuous protests are causing inconvenience to commoners, including school students, senior citizens and patients, hence no fresh permission will be given to any group for any gathering. We’ll only allow three-four persons to submit memorandums and nothing else, keeping n mind that the ongoing gathering in the area is hindering normal public life,' Jabalpur collector said.
Inspired by Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh, the anti-CAA and NRC protestors have been holding protests in Gazi Bagh (Anand Nagar) area of Jabalpur town since almost a week causing inconvenience to road traffic and daily life.
Earlier, widespread violence by anti-CAA-NRC protesters was reported in the same areas of Jabalpur on December 20, 2019, which resulted in injuries to over 10 cops.
Owing to the violence by the anti-CAA-NRC protesters, the local administration had imposed curfew in four police station areas – Adhartal, Hanumantal, Gohalpur and Kotwali police station areas on December 20.
The area in which stone pelting was reported on Sunday was among those areas where widespread violence took place on December 20 2019, after Friday prayers.