Curfew for Eid, Akshaya Tritiya in MP's Khargone After Ram Navami Violence

A house gutted in the violence that erupted in Khargone.

(Photo: Vishnukant Tiwari/The Quint)

Weeks after communal violence broke out in Madhya Pradesh's Khargone, the district administration has announced a complete curfew for Eid, on 2 and 3 May.

"Eid prayers to be offered at home. Also, no event on Akshaya Tritiya and Parshuram Jayanti will be allowed to be organised in the district," said Sumer Singh Mujalda, Additional District Magistrate, Khargone.

Shops will be allowed to remain open and students going for exams will be given a curfew pass, he said, adding that this could be altered depending on the conditions.

On 1 May the curfew will be relaxed between 8 am and 5 pm, he added.

Several were left injured after Madhya Pradesh's Khargone saw stone pelting and arson during a Ram Navami procession in the district on 10 April.

A policeman was shot at and 28-year-old Ibraish Khan was found dead after the clashes. Five people have been arrested in the case.

Drones Arranged, Barricades Set Up

In preparation for the upcoming festivals, the police has arranged for drones to monitor the situation and has set up barricades at several locations, said Superintendent of Police (SP) Rohit Kashwani.

The police has also held talks with representatives of the two communities and has requested them to maintain peace and order, he said.

Sources told The Quint that when the procession was being taken out, people allegedly belonging to the Muslim community took objection to the music being played in the celebratory march, following which the matter escalated and stone pelting began.

The Madhya Pradesh Police on Saturday said that over 44 First Information Reports (FIRs) have been registered and 148 arrests have been made so far in connection with the incident.

Further, a day after the communal unrest on Ram Navami, the local administration on 11 April undertook a demolition drive in areas where the violence had erupted.

Sixteen houses and 29 shops, mostly owned by members of the Muslim community, were demolished by the administration, citing their involvement in the clashes as the reason.