On Friday, August 16, Tension prevailed in Nashik and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar districts and some other places in Maharashtra over different issues leading to beefing up of security across the state. The alleged violence triggered after the Sakal Hindu Samaj called for a Protest March that turned violent as provocative and inflammatory speeches have been made during the march.
Background of the incidents:
According to a previous report in Sabrang India, several Hindu right-wing organisations including Sakal Hindu Samaj, one of the leading right-wing organisations known for organising communal and provocative events and rallies to target minorities of this country specially Muslims, had called a Protest March to condemn alleged atrocities on members of the minority community in Bangladesh. The protests in Maharashtra were fuelled by recent reports of escalating violence against the Hindu community in Bangladesh, particularly following the fall of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government on August 5. The Bangladesh National Hindu Grand Alliance has reported a surge in attacks against minorities, with incidents and threats documented in 278 locations across 48 districts.
Nashik
On Friday, August 16, in the Bhadrakali area of Nashik in Maharashtra witnessed heightened chaos and tensions during the ‘bandh’ (Protest) called by right-wing extremist organisation Sakal Hindu Samaj, an umbrella body of several outfits, leading to violence where police lobbed tear gas shells to disperse the crowd.
Nashik Police Commissioner Sandeep Karnik provided details on the response to the violence: “Six tear gas shells and one rubber bullet were fired to disperse the crowd. Around six police officers were injured. Police personnel, including State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) jawans, were deployed in the area to maintain peace.”
#WATCH | Maharashtra: Violence broke out in Nashik, earlier today, during the protest march over the Bangladesh issue. pic.twitter.com/oFJSu4WOKw
— ANI (@ANI) August 16, 2024
The unrest began in the afternoon when members of the Sakal Hindu Samaj organised a protest march and motorbike rally. Tensions escalated as the demonstrators reached Bhadrakali and observed that some shops had defied the bandh and remained open. What began as verbal disputes soon erupted into stone-throwing and clashes, resulting in damage to several vehicles and exacerbating the already volatile situation. The police have managed to de-escalate the situation.
Clashes erupted in Jalgaon: Stones Hurled at Showroom
On August 16, in Jalgaon, another protest by the Sakal Hindu Samaj led to violence when stones were thrown at a vehicle showroom. According to an official report, “The incident occurred in Jalgaon city this morning during a protest march by the Sakal Hindu Samaj against anti-Hindu violence in Bangladesh. Some unidentified persons hurled a few stones at a two-wheeler showroom.”
The official added that the situation was tense initially but was brought under control with police intervention. To prevent further escalation, additional police personnel were deployed across the city.
Hindu religious leader’s remarks against Prophet sparks row
Hindu religious leader Ramgiri Maharaj’s remarks against Prophet Mohammad and Islam sparked controversy in Maharashtra, resulting in police cases being filed in Nashik and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
The communal tension erupted after the video of a remark by Maharaj, during his sermon at the ‘Akhand Harinam Saptah’ at Shree Kshetra Panchale in Sinnar tehsil of Nashik district, went viral. He allegedly made the controversial remark while speaking on the situation of Hindus in Bangladesh. After the video went viral, on Thursday night, thousands of people from a community took to the streets in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar and Vaijapur to protest.
On Friday over alleged objectionable remarks made by the Hindu religious leader Ramgiri Maharaj against the Prophet Mohammad and Islam ended in police filing cases against him in two districts of Maharashtra following complaints by members of the Muslim community. The remarks were made recently by Ramgiri Maharaj at Shah Panchale village in Sinnar taluka of Nashik district during a religious event and its video went viral on social media, police said.
The FIR in Vaijapur was filed under section 302 (uttering words with deliberate intent to wound religious feelings of any person) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) based on a complaint lodged by a local resident, the police said. The complainant in the case, Rafehasan Ali Khan, said he came to know about the video of Ramgiri Maharaj in which he was heard saying, among other things, that one crore Muslims have abandoned Islam and also passed a comment against Prophet Mohammad.
Former MP from AIMIM for Aurangabad constituency, Imtiaz Jaleel, has alleged a political plot behind the controversial statement of Maharaj, slamming him for making statements which would create hatred in society. “It’s a political plot. If you look at the statement, it’s clear that someone wrote it and Ramgiri Maharaj just read out the script on the directions of someone,” he said.
Who is Ramgiri Maharaj?
Mahant Ramgiri Maharaj is chief of the ‘Sadguru Gangagiri Maharaj Sansthan’ based in Sarala Island (Godavari River) in Shrirampur tehsil of Ahmednagar district. The sansthan has a 177-year-old tradition of organising ‘Akhand Harinam Saptah’. Lakhs of devotees from nearby districts attend the sermons during this week. Ramgiri Maharaj also gives sermons periodically at various places and has big followers in Nashik, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar and Ahmednagar districts. Due to his large following, many politicians of the region, including MLAs and local body leaders, attend or organise ‘Harinam Saptah’.
“These words by Ramgiri Maharaj have hurt the religious sentiments of Muslims and created a rift between the two communities,” the complainant said. Tension prevailed for some time on Friday afternoon in part of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar city after a group of Muslims gathered outside the City Chowk police station to demand action against Ramgiri Maharaj. Jaleel wrote a letter to the city police commissioner to seek action against the Hindu religious leader. The statements were made deliberately to malign the image of the Muslim community, he alleged. Reported Economic Times
Police have imposed section 144 in the area to restrict public gathering. They also registered a case in Yeola in Nashik district and registered another FIR at Sangamner in Ahmednagar after residents gathered and demanded action against Maharaj for hurting religious sentiments. A crowd also blocked the Ahmednagar-Sambhaji Nagar Road for some time.
Divisive, majoritarian background of Sakal Hindu Samaj
Sakal Hindu Samaj is an umbrella organisation of several Hindutva organisations including Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS), Shiv Pratishtha and Sanatan Sanstha. They regularly organise such events and give platform to those who promote hard-core divisive and violent ideology in the name of protection of the Hindu religion. Citizens for Justice and Peace has been monitoring and tracking the these events and rallies organised by the Sakal Hindu Samaj, many events for the month of August may be planned in various parts of Maharashtra. From August 4, ‘Hindu Jan Aakrosh Morchas” led by the Sakal Hindu Samaj, right wing-supported umbrella body of the Hindutva organisation, started organising events and rallies with provocative hate speeches against minorities. First held in late 2022, these rallies involve members marching through cities with saffron flags and headwear, followed by speeches against the Muslim community.
Hindu right-wing organisations such as Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Sanatan Sanstha organised about two dozen such marches in various parts of the state last year. Hindu Sakal Samaj has been notorious for organising events and calling people who are known to deliver hate speeches in the past.
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