A spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed disquiet over the Hindu-Muslim clashes in the Indian city of Jodhpur that coincided with Eid-ul-Fitr.
“I think the basic point is our hope that the various communities will work together and that the government and the security forces will ensure that everyone can go about their activities, including their celebratory activities, peacefully,” Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Aziz Haq said in answer to a question about Tuesday’s violence in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, at the regular noon briefing at UN headquarters in New York.
The resulting tensions prompted the authorities to suspend mobile internet services and impose a curfew in parts of the city.
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Violence in Jodhpur
The Rajasthan Police on Tuesday, 3 May, said that 97 people had been arrested so far in connection with the violence in Jodhpur amid Eid celebrations.
Clashes had broken out in the city’s Jalori Gate circle, from where Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot hails, following Eid prayers in the locality. The police had resorted to a lathi-charge to disperse the mob.
Hindu extremists attacked Muslims in Jodhpur the day before Eid. pic.twitter.com/xLBOK0fxyW
— CJ Werleman (@cjwerleman) May 3, 2022
“Curfew is being strictly enforced in the district. Higher-level officers have been deployed here. Every small incident occurring in the district is being monitored. A total of 97 people have been arrested in connection with incidents that have occurred in Jodhpur,” said Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Hawa Singh Ghumaria.
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There was also heavy police presence in all districts of the state following the violence. Curfew continues in parts of Jodhpur, including Udai Mandir and Nagori Gate, while internet remains suspended to stop the spread of rumours.
Chief Minister Gehlot has alleged a BJP role in the violence.
The clashes are the latest in a series of communal violence reported from across the country in the past few weeks, including in Delhi, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh.
Courtesy: APP with additional input by GVS