Communal tensions flared up in the Sayedpura area of Surat, Gujarat, after a stone-pelting incident at a Ganesh pandal on Sunday evening. The incident led to clashes, and heavy police presence was deployed to maintain law and order in the area. The Gujarat police have arrested six individuals involved in the stone pelting, along with 27 others accused of encouraging the unrest.
Following the incident, Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghvi confirmed the arrests and assured that strict action would be taken against those responsible. “All six people who pelted stones have been arrested, along with 27 others who encouraged the act. The investigation is ongoing, and police personnel have been deployed throughout the area to ensure peace,” Sanghvi said during his visit to the affected site.
In response to the unrest, approximately 1,000 police personnel were stationed in the area. Surat Police Commissioner Anupam Singh Gehlot explained that the situation began when a group of children threw stones at the Ganesh pandal, sparking clashes between local residents. “The police swiftly intervened, taking the children involved into custody. We also conducted a lathi charge and used tear gas where necessary to control the situation. We are committed to restoring peace in the area,” Gehlot stated.
In a related development, bulldozers were deployed to clear illegal encroachments in the area, which had long been a problem in the predominantly Muslim Saiyedpura locality. The Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) clarified that the anti-encroachment drive had been planned two weeks prior to the incident and was not a direct response to the violence.
Surat Deputy Mayor Narendra Patil emphasized that the drive was a routine action aimed at addressing ongoing issues in the area. “Encroachments have been a long-standing issue in Saiyedpura, and local corporators had requested action. The decision to remove these encroachments was made well before Sunday’s incident,” Patil explained.
Despite the police crackdown, tensions remained high in the area, as a mob of around 200-300 people gathered outside a local police station in protest of the detention of the six minors accused in the stone-pelting incident. The situation escalated further, with stone pelting injuring several people, including police officers. The authorities have since detained the minors on charges of rioting and attempted murder, and investigations are ongoing.
With the situation still delicate, local leaders and police continue efforts to restore normalcy in the area, appealing for calm and cooperation from all communities.
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