Mira Road tension: ‘You broke dignity during pran pratishtha of maryada purushottam,’ says NCP leader

As the tension in Mumbai’s Mira Road that started on the eve of the consecration event of the Ram Temple prevailed, NCP leader Jitendra Awhad said those who spark the fire of hatred stay in bungalows and apartments, but poor people get burnt.

His comment came as the civic authorities bulldozed illegal structures in the Muslim-majority area of Thane, near Mumbai. “We call Lord Ram maryada purushottam. But when the pran pratishtha was going on, you broke all your maryada. I request both the community to stay calm. Because it is only the poor people whose houses get burnt (in the fire of hatred), those who spark it stay in bungalows and apartments,” the NCP leader said as fresh incidents of vandalism took place in Kashimira, Naya Nagar and Navghar areas of the district neighbouring Mumbai, police said.

Mira Road tension: What happened so far

1. On Sunday night, a clash broke out between the two communities after a car carrying flags of Lord Ram was reportedly attacked at Mira Road.

2. On Monday, a procession was taken out in Mira Road during the pran-pratishtha event which was pelted with stones by miscreants.

3. In a separate incident, a viral video showed some persons on motorbikes throwing stones at the shops in the area.

4. Those attackers also vandalised several motorcycles and tore a saffron flag bearing the image of Lord Ram, the official from Padgha police station said.

5. Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis warned of action against the perpetrators. On Tuesday, ‘illegal’ roadside stalls in Naya Nagar area were demolished by the local civic body using bulldozers.

6. Several incidents of vandalism and clashes have been reported in the three days. 19 persons have been arrested in connection with different incidents of violence.

7. A total of eight offences under the Indian Penal Code and two under the Information Technology Act have been registered, police said.

8. Some old videos were also circulated to fuel the tension. On Wednesday, the Mira-Bhayandar, Vasai-Virar police warned social media group admins to ensure that no videos, jokes, or posts are shared related to the tension.

9. AIMIM MP Imtiaz Jaleel said the Mira Road tension was a deliberate attempt to divert attention from quota activist Manoj Jarange’s agitation.

10. The AIMIM MP said Muslims were used as a tool to create tension as the police became mute spectators giving rioters a free hand. “The government does not want lakhs of Marathas to reach Mumbai. So they are trying to create communal tension and for this, they are using their old strategy of using Muslims as a tool. The rioters were given a free hand and the police became mute spectators. Mira Road is a sensitive area and why no arrangements were made there. Why are C-grade leaders being allowed to make hate statements and spoil the atmosphere? Violence should not be tolerated. The police should do their work with full honesty and not under pressure from their political masters. We want Maharashtra to remain peaceful,” the AIMIM MP said.