The police department has taken appropriate action in the Sambhaji Nagar (Aurangabad, Maharashtra) violence case after verifying details from the CCTV footage, Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister of Maharashtra – Devendra Fadnavis told the state Assembly on July 19,2023.
Fadnavis presented evidence that there was no partiality on the part of the police and it was the rumour-mongering amongst the Muslim mob that there was an assembly of Hindu men that led to a dangerous standoff between the two communities.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r61tVKsSKHU
Fadnavis was referring to and responding to the allegations and appeal made by Samajwadi Party leader Abu Azmi. The SP leader had claimed that there had been targeted prosecution of a certain community (read that as Muslim) after there was police action to quell violence at a Lord Ram temple on Wednesday, 29 March 2023 which was the eve of Ram Navami festival that was to be observed on 30 April.
Azmi claimed that the police action was excessive in proportion and a Muslim man named Muniruddin who was standing in the compound of his house was struck down by a bullet. Azmi also claimed that on that night in March, as per Devendra Fadnavis’ explanation, three Hindu devotees approached the temple to offer prayers but were informed that they must return as the temple had been kept closed.
Since it was an age-old practice of holding bhajans and ‘artis’ at the temple, especially on the eve of and on Ram Navami, soon three more devotees arrived. However, just as these disappointed devotees were returning, they were accosted by a mob of nearly 250 Muslim men who had heard that there were 250 Hindu men inside the temple.
Abu Azmi said that the administration should file cases under Indian Penal Code (IPC) 160 which deals with punishment for committing affray and under Section 304A. causing death by negligence. He alleged that the police probe was unfair and that an enquiry needs to be carried out in the same.
Fadnavis, batting for the police, refused to carry out any enquiry or action against the police saying that in fact, it was members of the police team that were injured by the stone-pelting mob while trying to pacify both parties.
Fadnavis also dashed down Abu Azmi’s claim that the Muslim victim was killed while having nothing to do with the angry mob and presented that the victim Muniruddin was a part of the angry, sloganeering, stone-pelting mob.
Reports from various media organisations state the presence of CCTV visuals of the violence that took place in Maharashtra’s Sambhaji Nagar showed that the mob was pelting stones and that police vehicles were smashed and torched.
