Tired of continued police oppression, Khargone’s Muslim women marched and protested on the streets on May 10, 2022. Videos and photos on social media show women thronging the streets and condemning the administration for their continued attacks against the community.

On May 9, The Wire reported how the local police arrested 182 people, including three main accused in violence that broke out in the Madhya Pradesh city during Ram Navami celebrations in April. Shops and houses were devastated when miscreants in the religious procession went rogue. There were reports of arson, riots, stone-pelting. However, shockingly, it was Muslims who formed the bulk of the arrested.

Sick of this administrative oppression, Muslim women finally took to the streets on Tuesday, asserting their right as citizens of India.

Speaking to news channels, women condemned the police for mutely watching the carnage when the violence took place in April. Further, they also condemned the media for failing to show the plight of the community and instead showing a “one-sided view”. Another woman pointed out that many Muslim children were arrested and yet this fact was not covered by mainstream news.

Miles2Smile Founder Aasif Mujtaba, who visited the Khargone region tweeted about the protests saying, “A large number of women from Kahrgone took to the streets to oppose the arbitrary arrest & detention of their family members. This government talks about empowerment of Muslims women but it does exactly the opposite.”

A large number of women from Kahrgone took to the streets to oppose the arbitrary arrest & detention of their family members. This government talks about empowerment of Muslims women but it does exactly the opposite.#KhargoneRiots pic.twitter.com/qusIGgV2Xf

— Aasif Mujtaba (@MujtabaAasif) May 10, 2022

Similarly, social activist Amir Sherwani, who visited violence-hit area in Karauli, Rajasthan, amplified the protest on social media and tweeted, “Muslim women came out of their homes and resisting against police atrocities on muslims in Khargone, MP. Muslims houses, businesses and their properties were demolished by right wing goons and then state. And then victim community have been further incarcerating by the state.”

Muslim women came out of their homes and resisting against police atrocities on muslims in Khargone, MP. Muslims houses, businesses and their properties were demolished by right wing goons and then state. And then victim community have been futher incarcerating by the state. pic.twitter.com/yZv5Je3wyQ

— Amir Sherwani (@Amir_Sherwani) May 10, 2022

The visuals also circulated on Facebook with captions describing how local Muslims are standing up against targeted violence.

Earlier, Shaheen Bagh residents in New Delhi had also gathered in mass numbers when they learnt that their area was also set for an anti-encroachment drive. Their resistance delayed the bulldozers until MLA Amantullah Khan convinced authorities that there were no illegal structures in the region. Both of these are powerful instances of peaceful yet visual resistance.

Meanwhile, Jahangirpuri residents enjoyed a small win on May 6 when the former Station House Officer of Jahangirpuri police station was removed and Inspector Arun Kumar was appointed in his place.

According to Indian Express, a Rohini court on May 7 noted the “utter failure” of the Delhi police in stopping the illegal Hanuman Jayanti procession in northwest Delhi last month. It claimed that the issue “seems to have been simply brushed aside” by senior officers. Reports also talked about how police officers “accompanied the illegal procession” and the court said that their complicity needs to be investigated.

Further, it said the contents of the FIR also indicate that the local police led by Inspector Rajiv Ranjan were “accompanying the said illegal procession” when they should have stopped it.

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Khargone violence: Administration a mute spectator, says CPI-RJD investigating team

The post Khargone’s Muslims rise against police atrocities appeared first on SabrangIndia.

A report by a joint investigation team of the Communist Party of India (CPI) and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) had demanded that action be taken against those who carried sharp weapons and guns during Khargone’s Ram Navami yatra and caused the death of local Idris alias Saddam.

CPI State Secretary Jaswinder Singh, Secretary Board member Kailash Limbodia, Indore Secretary C. L. Sarawat, CPI Indore Secretary Rudrapal Yadav and RJD State Secretary Swaroop Nayak  visited affected areas on April 25 to take stock of on-ground situation in wake of communal riots. The team spoke to victims and locals about the alleged conspiracy behind the violence. The team found that the miscreant group carried out a second yatra without permission. They called for a CBI inquiry into the death of Idris who, as per witness account, was brutally throttled by 7-8 miscreants.

“The administration remained a mute spectator,” said the report. Further, they demanded the opening of all religious places, especially mosques that were closed in the month of Ramadan. “Why are they not being opened? If religious places are to be closed, then both sides should have been there. But this has not been done,” wrote the team.

They further demanded that unilateral proceedings be stopped. The government should also fully compensate victims whose houses and shops were demolished without the order of the court or the collector. Further, they called for a criminal case against those who do this illegal action.

What caused the Khargone violence?

According to the team, there have been attempts over the last one year to create tension between the two communities. When the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won state elections in four states on March 10, the victory procession in Khargone raised objectionable slogans and created a ruckus outside the mosque. Locals claim they also tried to throw firecrackers in the mosque premises.

In this already tense environment, the Ram Navami yatra began on April 10. Minorities too welcomed the first procession that reached their area. Some locals even arranged for water along the route. This group reached Talab Chowk peacefully. However, from there BJP State Vice-President Shyam Mahajan insisted on taking the procession to the minority settlement. The team said that Mahajan threatened to transfer Additional SP Neeraj Chaurasia.

Later, people were exhorted to gather at Talab Chowk from 2 PM to 5.30 PM. This crowd had sharp weapons and raised provocative and objectionable slogans against the Muslim community. They also played aggressive songs and raised a hue and cry outside the mosque during namaz prayers.

According to Singh, the mobs were headed by Anil Control Wala and Rahul Doodh Dairy Wala, who are affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and their various organizations. Aside from Mahajan, Delhi BJP leader Kapil Mishra was also in Khargone and had made hate-inciting tweets at the time.

“This proves that BJP Sangh Parivar wanted to riot at all cost,” wrote members in their report.

The report said that the administration had received intel of a potential communal clash eight days before the violence. Members said that if appropriate steps had been taken, this riot could have been avoided. Senior police officers also admitted to the team that there was not enough police force at Talab Chowk.

Loss of lives

According to the report the most important aspect in this riot is the death of Idris. On Monday around 1:30P.M, two witnesses said that seven to eight people were beating a person outside the cotton market. When the police arrived, they fled. The SP told the Indian Express that they were shouting, “Hit him more!”

He was declared dead on arriving at the hospital. His short post-mortem, conducted in the night, detailed the cause of death as a “head injury”. Yet the police lodged an Accidental Death Report. The body was sent to Indore the next day after post-mortem. Moreover, the team said that the body had cuts on the head and neck area.

At 11 A.M on April 14, a missing report was filed by Idris’s family. After an hour, the police register a case under murder citing the post-mortem. No information is given to anyone in this regard on April 15 or 16. On the night of 17 April, Idris’s relatives were taken to Indore and handed the body. The report therefore asked, “The question is, when he died on 11th April, why was he hidden till 18th April?”

The police kept this information hidden from the police headquarters for five days until April 15. Then for eight days, the police could not even get the body identified. As soon as it was identified, they also recovered the three accused and the sword in use.

Then, an employee in the cotton market Kamal Salve allegedly died during surgery at a hospital. However, in the police report, the man admitted in the night is shown as alive next morning at 8:40 AM. The report asked, “The same Kamal Salve who had come to get admitted in the night, is also present at 8.40 in the morning? Is this possible? What is the reason for bringing up this second story?”

Impact of the violence

As many as five people, including the Superintendent of Police, were allegedly shot during the incident. The report asked, “Shivam Shukla is injured. Earlier it was said that he was shot, now it is being said that he was stoned. Why is the forensic report of the five people including the SP who were shot, not being made public?”

Instead of addressing the unrest, the Home Minister made further inflammatory statements that houses of the stone pelters would be pelted with stones.

Meanwhile, all the houses and shops demolished by the administration belong to the minority community. Nine shops in the mosque of Talab Chowk were vandalized. Three Hindu shopkeepers were asked to remove their belongings before breaking the shop, while belongings of Muslim shopkeepers were also destroyed along with the shops. All the proceedings were done without notice and or any orders.

“Now neither the district administration nor the collector is taking responsibility for this,” said Singh in the report.

Houses built 30 years ago were turned to dust despite water, electricity bills and house tax reports. One Hasina Fakhru’s house was also built under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. Wasim Sheikh’s hut was also broken on the charge of throwing stones although the man had lost both limbs! Seven 70-year-old shops of Ayub Khan were vandalised, despite proper documentation. According to the team, Khan’s shop was demolished because of its location in front of Mahajan’s land. The BJP leader used to repeatedly ask him to sell the shops to him.

Why did all this happen?

According to the report, Khargone and Barwani have 10 vidhan sabha seats. Between 2003 and 2013, BJP won six or seven seats. But in 2018, the BJP lost nine out of 10 assembly seats. The team alleged that the BJP conspired to win the next elections by communal polarisation.

As for the administration, the team said that all proceedings were one-sided.

“The way the minority community has been accused, it seems as if the names have been written in front of the voter list. Altaf was admitted in the hospital, but his name is also in the rioters and his house was also demolished. Azam was in Karnataka from April 8 to April 14 and his house has also been demolished,” said the report.

In light of all this, the team demanded that the Home Minister resign and take moral responsibility for the incident.

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Khargone: Why is the administration ignoring the proliferation of hate on social media?

Khargone: Five arrested for Ibraish Khan’s murder

Curfew back in place after Madhya Pradesh police record first death in Khargone

The post Khargone violence: Administration a mute spectator, says CPI-RJD investigating team appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Khargone police filed an FIR against miscreants calling for economic boycott of Muslim shops and trying to create enmity among religious groups and disrupt peace, said Superintendent of Police Rohit Kashwani on April 26, 2022.

Earlier, The Quint reported an incident in Katarwar, Khargone where a sound truck appealed to all “Dharma-loving” people to close markets and shops to “retaliate” against the “heretics” who attacked Hindus in Khargone city. According to The Quint, the person appealed “to all Hindus to oppose them and mothers and sisters to not buy any item from them.”

Kashwani said the police promptly reacted to this by filing an FIR against the hate-mongers. “We are identifying people right now and will arrest the accused soon,” he said.

Similar calls for boycott were sounded earlier on social media. One video in particular showed a group of women taking an oath in the name of Lord Mahakal to boycott sale and buying from Muslim folk. Initial reports from local fact-finding groups said the meeting was held by Ubdee women in Radha Vallabh market. However, police officials say that Ubdee village and the market are far away from each other. Kashwani said the team is trying to ascertain the location of the meeting to file an FIR accordingly.

Previous interviews with administrative and police officials show that while the law enforcement is aware of the dangers of hate speech and such casual hate speeches in localities, the administration is yet to wake up to the latest hate trends.

Meanwhile, a little respite to the victims of the Khargone violence came on April 24. In a plea filed by Fareeda Bee (wife of an accused in the Khargone riots case) before the High court of Madhya Pradesh, the state government reassured the Court that no action shall be taken against the petitioner for demolition of the house without following due process of law. The plea was filed on apprehension that the respondents may demolish the structure of the house without following due process of law. It is to be noted that the Supreme Court recently issued notice to the Centre, States of UP, MP and Gujarat in relation to the PIL seeking to direct authorities to refrain from undertaking the demolition drive of the houses belonging to the accused as a punishment. 

“The petition is filed on apprehension that the respondents may demolish the structure of the house of the petitioner without following the due process of law. Learned Additional Advocate General for the respondents/State submits that no action shall be taken against the petitioner for demolition of the house without following due process of law,” said the court order disposing the petition.

Bee said she was allegedly threatened by the State with an ultimatum of razing down her house because of her husband’s arrest, reported LiveLaw.

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Curfew back in place after Madhya Pradesh police record first death in Khargone

The post Khargone police files FIR against hate-mongers appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Five people have been arrested in connection with the murder Ibraish Khan, alias Saddam, a 30-year-old municipal employee from Khargone, Madhya Pradesh. On April 10, Ibraish Khan, alias Saddam, had left home for the evening namaz. His body was found eight days after his brother Iqbal said the family had filed a missing persons report.

The body was found reportedly at a morgue in Indore, around 120 km away. This is the first death that Madhya Pradesh police have recorded in the communal violence that broke out in Khargone during a Ram Navami procession.

According to a report in NDTV, the five arrested men are from Anand Nagar-Rahimpura area, though they have not yet been named. Police told the media, “Khan was murdered by seven-eight men on the night of the clashes. The body, found the next day, had remained unidentified and sent to the Indore morgue as there were no freezer facilities in Khargone.”

However, Khan’s brother Iqhlak Khan accused the police of complicity. He said his brother’s body “was mutilated, there were injuries on his face”. He told the media, “People in Anand Nagar attacked my brother with weapons and crushed his head with a stone,” and that his brother was seen “in the police station on April 12.” According to Iqlakh, while there had been no update for days, the police “called us within five minutes, after I had threatened to go to the media [days after Khan went missing]. We had gone to the same M Y Hospital a few days ago and were told there wasn’t a body there then.”

The police announced a Rs 10,000 reward for information on those involved in the Ram Navami day clashes, reported NDTV  adding that 65 First Information Reports have been registered in connection with the violence.

Independent journalists have reported unspeakable horrors and violence uncleashed on the victims, mostly poor Muslim residents. Many of them now say they will leave the area.

“हम तो सब्र कर लेंगे , अल्लाह सब्र नहीं करेगा ” रशिदा के सामने उसके घर को bulldozer से ढाह दिया । रशिदा Khargone से 60 km दूर Sendhwa में रहती है। उनका रोना सुनके मैं भी रोने लगा, ऐसा लगा मानो दिल बैठ सा गया। https://t.co/kX3A1n7S2n pic.twitter.com/ESJrLVyPYd

— Aasif Mujtaba (@MujtabaAasif) April 20, 2022

Salma Bi lost her husband some 3 years ago. With extreme difficulty she was raising her 3 kids when the Hindutva mob looted & burnt her house in Sanjay Nagar in Khargone. She is in huge distress.https://t.co/1TVQ8BsSrJ pic.twitter.com/W50groBhNc

— Aasif Mujtaba (@MujtabaAasif) April 21, 2022

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The post Khargone: Five arrested for Ibraish Khan’s murder  appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Image Courtesy:debuglies.com

Madhya Pradesh police say that the situation in Khargone has returned to normalcy. However, hate persists on social media, and chat services such as WhatsApp, where toxic content is shared and forwarded without verification everyday. What is most concerning though is that while the police are aware of the proliferation of hate online, the district administration has either not understood the gravity of such messages, or chosen to remain indifferent to it.

Recently a video circulated on WhatsApp showed a group of women in Ubdee swearing to boycott Muslim shopkeepers. In the video, women at the Radha Vallabh market had a “swearing-in” ceremony in Ubdee village of Khargone. Addressing a Hindu God, they pledged not to buy goods from any Muslim shop, nor sell their products or services to any person from the Muslim community. “Today, we pledge that we will not buy cloth, chappal or any other item from vidharmiyon [blasphemers]. We will also not sell anything to them. Lord Mahakaal, give us the strength to come through on this promise,” the group said in Hindi. Before starting bhajans, the group asserted unity, resolved to “correct them” and create a new society.

Another audio note narrated a man threatening shopkeepers to not cater to minority customers. The near-4 minute video narrated an entire phone call between a local shopkeeper and an aggressive caller who demanded that local shops stop dealing with Muslim customers. The medical shop owner in the district was threatened for selling his products to Muslim women. The caller who called himself “an artist” said he’s calling all shop-owners in Khargone to demand that people not sell their products to people from the minority community. “Muslims should buy these items from their own shops,” he said. The shopkeeper tried to placate the anonymous caller but he refused to listen. Like the women, the caller voiced the same sentiment that “the other” needs to be “corrected”.

“We should not try to understand Muslims. Hindus are surviving due to curfew. Muslims are not scared of the government,” said the caller before directing the shopkeeper to put up a board saying “Muslims not allowed”. The rattled shopkeeper finally said he will keep the shop closed for some days to circumvent such discrimination by his own hands.

It may be clarified that there was no way to verify or even locate the two people on the call. However, the language and tone of the entire conversation incite communal discord that has led to targeted attacks such as those during Ram Navami and Hanuman Jayanti.

Is the state cognisant of this soft-targeting?

For those new to social media or unaware about its navigation, such forwards become dangerous threats that imply an unrest in society. Considering the communal tone of such media, administration and police at the local level should be actively involved in battling such forms of hate. Yet, conversations with the Khargone administration showed that far from addressing this issue, officials do not even consider these forwards a threat.

When asked about the circulation of such videos and audio notes, District Magistrate Anugraha P. dismissed the messages as “rumours” and asked the media not to encourage them. When asked about measures to address such online forms of hate she said, “For now, we have Section 144 in place. As for these messages, these are only rumours and should be ignored.”

This despite wide coverage in recent years of how WhatsApp message have caused mob lynchings by spreading rumours that people are abducting small children. The response also shows the lack of initiative by the state and central government in addressing these forms of hate. The app, after widespread anger from the Indian community, made provisions to indicate how messages are “forwarded” and “forwarded many times”. However, the municipal administration still needs to be sensitised about the same.

On the other hand, the police are better aware about the power of social media. Bhopal Superintendent of Police Rohit Kashwani said that the police’s social media team is notified about such forms of hate and are instructed to regularly post and keep an eye on social media. When asked about the violation of Muslims’ and shopkeepers’ right to Article 14, 15 and 16 of the Constitution, Kashwani said shopkeepers have been assured of their safety.

“Whoever approaches us with worries, we allay their fears. The social media team is constantly monitoring the situation and whenever we come across such hate we file an FIR under relevant sections,” said Kashwani.

When asked about directions from the Madhya Pradesh administration, there seemed to be no order at the SP-level. Brief inputs from ground suggest that the situation in Khargone has calmed down after the Ram Navami attacks. However, with no initiative at the administrative-level, social media hate still requires due addressal.

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The post Khargone: Why is the administration ignoring the proliferation of hate on social media? appeared first on SabrangIndia.

On April 10, Ibraish Khan, alias Saddam had left his home in Khargone for the evening namaz, and to share iftar with others at the local mosque. He never returned home. His body was found eight days after his brother Iqbal said the family had filed a missing persons report.

“The police did  not even tell us where our child was,” Iqlakh told the media on Monday. “The child was injured, his body was mutilated, there were injuries on his face. He was in police custody,” he says. According to Iqlakh, his brother had stepped out in the Anand Nagar mohalla that evening to share ifrari with those who were observing rozas. He says, “There was stone pelting and he was injured. The police arrested him in that condition. Some people claim they saw him in the police station on April 12.” However, by Sunday/Monday, police came to the family seeking details about Khan, according to Iqlakh, police told him there was a dead body that they should take away. “They [police] called us within five minutes yesterday, after I had threatened to go to the media [days after Khan went missing]. We had gone to the same M Y Hospital a few days ago and were told there wasn’t a body there then.”

This is the first death that Madhya Pradesh police have recorded in the Khargone communal violence. The 28-year-old’s body was identified by his family at Indore’s Maharaja Yeshwantrao Hospital on Monday, reported Hindustan Times and other media. “He was seen by locals who are not willing to testify now,” said Iqlakh. However, according to the police a body was found on April 10, sent to the hospital and later identified as Khan’s after which his family was informed. The family was then taken to officially identify Khan’s body at M Y Hospital, Indore on Monday.

Rohit Kaswani, officiating Khargone superintendent of police, told the media that Khan was found unconscious with head injuries in Khargone’s Anand Nagar area, taken to the district hospital where he succumbed to injuries on April 12. “The body was shifted to M Y Hospital’s morgue in Indore as the (Khargone) district hospital did not have any facility to keep the body,” said Kaswani adding the “body remained unidentified for six days.”

However the victim’s family maintains that this is a case of an alleged “cover-up” by the police. Iqlakh said that on April 14, Kotwali Police registered a missing complaint at the instance of his mother, Mumtaz, “My brother was brutally thrashed by rioters and later detained by police. Several people told us they saw my brother in police custody. They said that my brother had suffered injuries on his head and was bleeding.” Iqlakh alleged that on April 13, the family asked the police about his brother but they denied that he was in custody. “On April 14, my mother filed a missing complaint but police did not inform us about his death. On Sunday night, a policeman came to our house to collect information about my brother,” he was quoted by HT.

According to the police statement cited by the media, “as many as 50 people, including the district superintendent of police Siddharth Choudhary, were injured in the clash which erupted after a few people allegedly threw stones at a Ram Navami procession on April 10.” However, alleged that the procession was playing objectionable songs which led to a heated argument between the clashing groups, leading to violence. 

The curfew that was relaxed in the area on Saturday, for a few hours in the morning and evening, is now back in force after the news of Khan’s death spread on Monday. There are now “complete prohibitory orders” reimposed in the area. Around 121 people have been arrested by Khargone police in connection with the Ram Navami violence and its aftermath, the District Public Relations Office told SabrangIndia. However, the minority community has also alleged that “police are only targeting Muslims.”   

On April 13 the Business Standard had reported that Muslims clerics were alleging that the police and state administration were only targeting Muslims with arrests. Qazi-e-Shahar, Bhopal and Syed Mushtaq Ali  submitted a memorandum to Director General of Police (DGP) Sudhir Saxena accusing the administration of demolishing Muslim houses and putting community members in jail “in a clear violation of the law of the land.”

According to the complaint many houses in the Muslim basti that were bulldozed allegedly for being on government land, including one that was, ironically, constructed under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, but Municipality CMO Priyanka Patel accused house owner Hasina B of using the accommodation for commercial purposes.

Bizarre new twist to demolition of Muslim homes in Khargone

On April 16, members of the Muslim community had told news agency PTI, that they will approach the Madhya Pradesh High Court against the “selective” demolition drive launched by the BJP government in the state. The government had started razing the houses of those allegedly involved in the recent violence in Khargone city and a few other places. Bhopal Shahar Qazi Syed Mushtaque Ali Nadwi, a senior Muslim cleric asked why the government was punishing the family members of those who were allegedly involved in the violence, “I have asked the advocates from our community to move the high court against the selective demolition drive going on in the state. We are certainly going to move the high court against this unilateral drive.”

However, now according to RTI activist and politician Saket Gokhale, the District Magistrate Khargone, in an RTI response has claimed “no demolition orders were issued by her office.” According to the DM only “unauthorized encroachments” were demolished, which Gokhale says “is not true” adding that the “homes in Khargone were demolished under the Land Revenue Act, 1959. The DM is the officer in-charge of land revenue matters. If the DM didn’t issue the order, who did?” he asked.

Bizarre twist to Khargone demolition incident:

District Magistrate Khargone tells me that no demolition orders were issued by her office.

DM also claims only “unauthorized encroachments” were demolished which is not true.

Who issued the orders then? Only DM has the authority. pic.twitter.com/9fH782SjmA

— Saket Gokhale (@SaketGokhale) April 19, 2022

According to Saket Gokhle, while MP’s Home Minister Narottam Mishra had said  homes of alleged “stone pelting accused” were demolished the DM “does a U-turn & says “unauthorized homes” were demolished. But the DM also claims that no official orders were issued by the District Administration.” He has stated that “these demolitions of Muslim homes was a clearly illegal act and that he will be approaching the Madhya Pradesh High Court on this.”

Among those whose homes were demolished allegedly because they were pelting stones was Qasim Sheikh from Gulshan Nagar in Khargone. His hands were amputated after an electrocution, and now his small shop was razed to the ground in the demolition drive, allegedly for pelting stones he cannot even grasp. 

A story is circulating on Twitter with wrong caption. I took his pic & video yesterday, he is Qasim Seikh from Gulshan Nagar in Khargone. His small shop was razed to ground in the demolition drive. Qasim is facing extreme difficulty in feeding his family.#KhargoneViolence pic.twitter.com/Au1qHsuZAV

— Aasif Mujtaba (@MujtabaAasif) April 18, 2022

On the same day, another tweet by journalist Meer Faisal, brings to light how a businessman named Arif Sufi’s factory in Bhadli, Khargone was set on fire at around 12 midnight in Khargone. Shockingly, this incident took place despite the heavy police force during curfew.

Arif Sufi’s factory in Bhadli, Khargone has been set on fire at around 12 midnight today. In which goods worth lakhs of rupees have been burnt to ashes. Despite the heavy police force during the curfew, such incidents are not taking the name of stopping so far.#AntiMuslimRiots pic.twitter.com/DotLGEdIa9

— Meer Faisal (@meerfaisal01) April 15, 2022

Media remains vulnerable too

On April 15, multimedia journalist Ghazala Ahmad who reports for digital news platform, ‘The Cognate’ tweeted about her horrible experience in Khargone. She alleged that she was harassed by the PRO JS Khargone (Public Relations Officer Jansampark, Khargone) and the Collector of Khargone for an entire day. While other journalists were allowed to report, she claims that she was deliberately singled out and restricted from reporting. She was refused a Curfew pass and was asked to show a letter from Press India Bureau which is not a mandate to report on any issue. She wonders if this was because of her Muslim identity/hijab and her organisation the cognate which is a news platform for Indian Muslims. 

I travelled from Delhi to Khargone, MP to report on the recent #KhargoneViolence but had a horrible experience. @PROJSKhargone @CollecterK harrased me for the entire day and didn’t provide me with the Curfew pass. I was asked to show a @PIB_India letter. What protocol is this?

— Ghazala Ahmad (@ghazalaahmad5) April 15, 2022

Following the communal clashes, as many as 121 people were arrested by Khargone police but members of the minority community have alleged that the police are only targeting Muslims. Raising further questions about the due process of law, many houses in the Muslim basti belonging to those accused in the communal clashes were bulldozed allegedly for being on government land. On April 11, there were reports of buses in a garage being set ablaze. “The buses were not in use and were just lying in the garage. Nonetheless, we’re looking into what all damage has been caused,” said PR Assistant Director Pushpendra Vaskale.

As many as 10 houses were set on fire in Khargone Madhya Pradesh, during clashes between members of a Ram Navami procession and locals in Khargone Madhya Pradesh. This year, clashes, stone-pelting, trishul diksha, attacks on students and many other instances of violent communal confrontation were seen across at least five Indian states including Gujarat, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and West Bengal, on the occasion of Ramnavami. More than two dozen people were injured in Khargone, including Superintendent of Police (SP) Siddharth Choudhary which resulted in curfew provisions.

State government announces compensation for violence affected

The state government has announced compensation for the families affected in the violence, stated news reports. Rs 4 lakh will be given to the family of the deceased and seriously injured, Rs 2 lakh to the disabled, Rs 59,100 to the partially-disabled and Rs 25,000 for those who received minor injuries, reported HT. The state govt has also announced compensation of Rs 95,100 for “owners of kutcha and pucca houses which were damaged during the violence. These owners will also get a sum of over ₹1 lakh under Integrated Action Plan. An aid of ₹6,000 will be given to the slum dwellers.”

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