Section 144 In Parts Of Madhya Pradesh’s Shajapur After Stone Pelting On Rally Distributing Akshat

The district administration imposed Section 144 of the CrPC in three areas of Madhya Pradesh’s Shajapur city after alleged stone pelting on participants of a religious procession. According to reports, some anti-social elements allegedly pelted stones at a rally of youths distributing Akshat for the Ram Temple. In the evening, a group of young people in the city’s Magaria neighbourhood were giving out Akshat while passing through major intersections. These young individuals got into an argument with some people as the march arrived at the Moti Masjid district of Magaria.

The verbal argument soon escalated into stone pelting, reports say. There was a stampede at the rally as soon as stones were thrown. Many members of Hindu organisations arrived at the scene as soon as reports of the incident spread. A youth, who was injured in the incident, is being treated at a local hospital.

Following this, a sizable contingent of representatives from Hindutva organisations and local BJP MLA Arun Bhimavad made their way to the Kotwali police station, where they asked the anti-social individuals hurling stones be dealt with harshly.

Ujjain Division Commissioner Sanjay Goyal and Range IG Santosh Kumar Singh also reached Shajapur and took stock of the situation. Superintendent of Police Yashpal Singh Rajput said that an FIR has been registered against 24 people in this entire case and the process to arrest them is underway. Top officials, including Shajapur Collector Riju Bafna SP Yashpal Singh Rajput, are monitoring the situation. Shajapur’s situation is currently under control, however a lot of police officers have been stationed in high-risk areas.

A similar incident occurred in 2018 when some men pelted stones at a procession on the occasion of Maharana Pratap’s birth anniversary. The incident soon took the communal colour, with many getting injured and vehicles set on fire. Last month, clashes broke out in Shajapur between Congress and BJP workers, following the defeat of a Congress candidate in the area in the assembly elections