Tension grips Tonk in Rajasthan after two communities clash during Navratra rally

Yash Goyal

Jaipur, March 18 

Communal tension gripped Tonk in Rajasthan on Sunday when people of two communities clashed by throwing stones at each other and indulged in arson during passing out of a ‘Hindu Nav-Varsh Samiti’s rally’ on the occasion of Navratra at Bara-Kuna area of Kotwali there. 

“Prohibitory orders have been promulgated in view of tension under Section 144 of CrPC as a precautionary measure in the entire Tonk city, two companies of Special Task Force were deployed along with local RAC jawans to maintain law and order,” Additional Director General of Police (L&O) NRK Reddy told The Tribune.

Over two thousand people of Hindu Nav-Varsh Samiti led by Tonk-Sawaimadhopur MP Sukhbeer Singh Jaunpuria and other local leaders of RSS-VHP-BJP when suddenly people threw stones on them, and in retaliation the violent clash was witnessed around 6.30 pm, the ADG said. 

A few vehicles were set on fire by the agitators which were doused immediately by calling fire tenders, he said.

Meanwhile, a state VHP spokesman Mahaveer Jain said it was a peaceful rally of over 3000 people on the occasion of navratra when miscreants threw stones on them without any reason from their houses and a mosque.

Many of them came with sharp-edged weapons to attack the people in the rally, he alleged.

At least 20 people were injured, 10 were admitted to a hospital, and a few of them are serious, Jain, who is trying to contact his district leaders, said. 

District SP Yogesh Dadheech and collector are camping in the area with magistrate to control the situation, which is said to be tense but under control, the ADG said.