Violence erupted in Palamu of Jharkhand ahead of Mahashivratri celebrations. Stones were pelted at devotees preparing to worship at the mosque square. Some vehicles were also set on fire. A heavy police force has been deployed to take care of the situation and Section 144 has been imposed in the area. About 1 dozen people are reported injured by then. The incident took place on Wednesday, February 15, 2023.
According to reports, the incident took place in the Panki block of Palamu. Local Hindus were building welcome gates at Bhagat Singh Chowk for Mahashivratri to be celebrated on February 18. During this time, the people of the Muslim community there opposed the construction of this gate. At first, there was an argument between the two sides, which later turned into a clash and stone-pelting. On seeing this, people from both sides came to fight. An additional police force has also been deployed to control the situation.
The video of the incident has also gone viral on social media. In the viral video, people are seen gathering on both sides of an intersection. Some people were also seen holding sticks and other weapons in their hands. In the video, a person present at the spot can be heard saying, “The administration is not able to do anything.” The sound of sirens can also be heard somewhere far away in the video. Some damaged vehicles can also be seen along with a lot of stone at the spot.
Petrol bombs were also used in the attack. So far, about a dozen people are said to be injured, including 6 policemen.
According to Palamu IG, an attempt was made to install a welcome gate in front of the mosque around 9 am.
He said that all senior officers of the district are camping on the spot and the situation is completely under control. IG said that the petrol bombing can be confirmed only after investigation but he confirmed that stone-pelting took place. At present, Section 144 has been imposed in the area and the internet has been closed as a precautionary measure.
https://www.opindia.com/2023/02/jharkhand-stone-pelting-mosque-mahashivratri-internet-shut/